First Book: Three Goats, First Plate (Chevreaux, premiere planche) Possibly 1937

This plate with goats is from Aristide Maillol’s first book. He must have drawn them with a very fine point in a terracotta ink on paper. It’s like he’s trying to capture the bare essence of goatness. The thin lines barely contain the figures, it feels quite tentative. The texture of the paper peeks through, adding a kind of warmth to the scene, while the subtle variations in the color of the ink give the goats a sense of depth and volume, even though they are so simply rendered. See how the single goat seems to be stepping forward, so light on its feet. The pared-down quality reminds me of Picasso's line drawings, they share a similar interest in distilling forms to their most essential elements, and both artists have a knack for capturing the spirit of their subjects with just a few strokes. It’s a conversation across time, a shared love for simplicity and the power of suggestion.