Pomone drapée 1921

This bronze figure of Pomone, draped and standing, is by Aristide Maillol. What was he thinking, I wonder, when he made her? She is offering something with open hands, two small gifts, like the first fruit from the orchard. The sculptor’s hand has worked the bronze to an incredible level of detail, and yet she is so still. Her stillness is what strikes me most. Maybe he wanted us to consider: what does it mean to give? And to whom do we offer our gifts? Is she waiting, patiently, in the garden, or is she rooted like a tree? It’s like Maillol is having a conversation with all the sculpture that came before him - and all the sculpture that will follow. The bronze has a beautiful patina, the green of a tree's leaves or the moss on a stone. It’s a conversation across time, inspiring creativity.