Third Book: Three Goats, Fifth Plate (Chevreaux, cinquieme planche) Possibly 1937

Aristide Maillol made this print, Three Goats, using lithography. The ochre lines feel both ancient and immediate, like something you’d find in a cave painting, but the deliberate layout of the goats speaks to a modern sensibility. I love the texture of the paper – you can almost feel it, right? It’s got this rough, handmade quality that contrasts with the clean lines of the goats. Each line has a purpose, defining the animal's form with minimal fuss. It’s so simple, yet so evocative. Take a look at the way the top goat's head is rendered. It's like a perfect, flowing scribble that makes up an eye and a mouth. It's this single gesture that somehow captures the whole essence of goat-ness. Maillol’s simplified forms are reminiscent of Matisse's line drawings or even some of Picasso’s more pared-down works. But Maillol brings a kind of earthy, sculptural quality to his prints. There's an ambiguity here that allows us to bring our own experiences to the image. Is it playful? Is it profound? It's both.