Biographies

Aristide-Joseph-Bonaventure Maillol was born in Banyuls-sur-Mer on December 8th 1861 and was interesting in the art of drawing at a young age.

He obtained a State grant and went to Paris where he frequented the School of Beaux-Arts. His first masters were Gerome and Cabanel.

He first tackled painting, producing landscapes before being influenced by Impressionist masters. The year 1897 was a turning point for Maillol as he was about to give up painting preferring to produce designs for tapestries.

Maillol had been much impressed by certain works painted by Gauguin. He then decided to carve some sculptures in wood in Banyuls and started to produce ceramic works on his return to Paris. Maillol had befriended Bourdelle in 1889 and met Picasso in 1899. In 1893 Rippl-Ronai introduced him to the Nabi group and from 1900, Maurice Denis, Edouaurd Vuillard, Ker Xavier Roussel and Bonnard used to meet at his place. In 1905 he became Matisse's friend.

Maillol showed his works in 1902 at the Vollard Gallery and exhibited for the first time in 1904 at the Salon d'Automne. He also exhibited in Moscow in 1908 and in 1912 in Saint Petersburg.

In 1924, his sculptures were shown in a special room in the Salon d'Automne and a retrospective exhibition was held 50 years after his death at the Musée de l'Annonciade in Saint Tropez in 1994.

The foundation Dina Vierny-Musée Maillol was inaugurated in Paris in 1995 while a major exhibition was held in 1996 at the Campredon Art and Culture association in l'Isle-sur-Sorgues.

At a start, Maillol devoted himself to painting and produced landscapes before he was impressed by Impressionist works but he soon decided to tackle sculpture after 1897. He however took a long time before determining his own style after producing numerous works, notably female nudes. He nevertheless continued to paint and to illustrate books.