Second Book: Philetas Speaking to Daphnis and Chloe (Le discours de Philetas a Daphnis et Chloe) Possibly 1937

Aristide Maillol made this print to illustrate the Second Book of Daphnis and Chloe. It’s all lines really, cut into the block, and then printed in warm terracotta on paper. It's so process-oriented, you can really tell it's been laboured over and produced with clear intention. Maillol used a limited palette, or really, just one colour, to focus on form and line. Look how he uses cross-hatching to create shadows and volume, like on the old man's leg. It gives a sense of depth and weight without using colour. The lines are so clean and precise, but there's still a sense of humanity in them. You can almost feel the artist's hand at work, carving away at the wood. Maillol, as a sculptor, often explored classical themes, and this print is a perfect example. His earlier paintings had more colour, but here, he pares everything down to the essentials. Think about how his work relates to that of someone like Gauguin, who also rejected naturalism, but embraced more expressionist colour to explore similar themes of harmony and idealized forms. What is art if not an ongoing dialogue? There is no one answer, but many roads to take.