The Laundress / Aristide Maillol

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Record Details

Accession Number
1973/2.78
Title
The Laundress
Artist Nationality
French
Artist Life Dates
1861 - 1944
Medium and Support
bronze on bronze
Object Creation Date
1896
Object Creation Place
Europe (continent)
France (nation)
Creation Place 1
Europe (continent)
Creation Place 2
France (nation)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Style/Group/Movement
Nabis; Art Nouveau
Inscription
Inscribed front c: M (in circle) 1/6 Foundry mark interior rear of skirt: .Alexis Rudier. / .Foundeur.Paris.
Dimensions
10.5 cm x 27.6 cm x 19.9 cm (4 1/8 in. x 10 7/8 in. x 7 13/16 in.)
Century
19th century
Primary Object Classification
Sculpture
Secondary Object Classification
Statue
Physical Description
This bronze statue depicts a female figure kneeling and bending forward with her arms outstretched. She grasps a long piece of cloth which is stretched on the ground in front of her. She looks directly at the cloth with an intent expression. The woman is wearing a long skirt which covers her legs and feet and swirls around her on the ground. Her blouse has flowing sleeves that end at the elbows, leaving her forearms bare. Her hair is pulled back and gatherred into a knot. The bronze has a dark green patina and the surface of the statue is smooth and polished.
Subject Matter
When Maillol first began to concentrate on sculpture, he created many small statues of female figures, usually nudes. (See 1985/1.27) This example is unique because it depicts a clothed figure engaged in a particular task -- a laundress. He also used this subject matter in painting, drawing, prints and wood carving. His treatment of the folds and swirls of her clothing shows his interest in the expressive quality of line.
Rights
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Technical Details

Image Size
1289 x 781
File Size
63 KB
Record
1973/2.78
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1973-sl-2.78/1973_2.78.jpg

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Full citation
"The Laundress; Aristide Maillol." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1973-sl-2.78/1973_2.78.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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