Dina Vierny, Paris
Private Collection, Switzerland
Acquired by the present owner in 2007

John Rewald, Maillol, Paris, 1939, illustration of the plaster pl. 67
Waldemar George, Aristide Maillol, London, 1965, illustration of the plaster p. 125
Bertrand Lorquin, Aristide Maillol, Paris, 1994, illustraton of the plaster p. 177
Ursel Berger & Jörg Zutter, Aristide Maillol, Berlin, 1996, illustration of the plaster p. 52
Bertrand Lorquin, Aristide Maillol, Paris, 2002, illustration of the plaster p. 177


The authent♐icity of this work has been confirmed by Dina Vierny. It will be included in the forthcoming Aristide Maillol catalogue raisonné 💧being prepared by the Musée Maillol, Paris.

Rich green patina. Apart from a small surface abrasion on left of the figure's lower torso, this work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This noble image of a woman rising from the water, her feet submerged beneath its surface, is Maillol's celebrated personification of the Ile-de-France. Allegory played an important role in Maillol's œuvre, and here h🍬e has chosen to r♛epresent France's capital region with a pose similar to that of the classical Nike of Samothrace. Life in the Ile-de-France is reliant upon the Seine river and its tributaries, the Marne and Ouse, and Maillol's composition beautifully emphasises the role of water as a sustaining element.

Maillol's most successful compositions are defined by their idealised rendering of the female body. As the embodiment of the strength and vigour for which this important region is known, Ile-de-France is perfectly proportioned and her pꦰose beautifully capture𝄹s the force of her movement as she strides through the water. Maillol's idea for this sculpture originated in 1910, and over the course of fifteen years he repeatedly refined his composition to best suit his allegorical theme. He also carved a marble version, now in the Musée du Louvre. While other variations of the sculpture include the figure's lower legs and feet, the present version is perhaps the most conceptually sophisticated, emphasising the importance of the foundation from which she rises.

 

Fig. 1, A plaster of Ile-de-France in Maillol's studio, 1936. Photograph by Brassaï