Daphnis gives Chloe an apple - Aristide Maillol

A refined woodcut by Aristide Maillol, depicting a scene from the pastoral romance of Daphnis and Chloe with clean, sculptural lines.

This woodcut by Aristide Maillol depicts a scene from the ancient Greek pastoral romance, Daphnis and Chloe. The composition features the two central figures seated beneath the boughs of a tree, with Daphnis offering an apple to Chloe. Maillol, primarily known for his sculpture, applied a similar focus on simplified form and classical harmony to his graphic work. The lines are clean and direct, reflecting the artist's preference for clarity over unnecessary detail. The figures possess a sculptural quality, their forms defined by bold outlines that contrast against the dark, negative space of the background.

Maillol created this series of woodcuts to illustrate an edition of Longus's tale, published by Henri Creuzevault in 1937. His approach to the medium is restrained, avoiding complex shading in favour of a graphic economy that aligns with the aesthetic of the private press movement. The figures are rendered with a sense of calm, their poses echoing the classical tradition of Mediterranean art. The tree branches frame the couple, creating a sense of intimacy within the pastoral setting. This print captures the essence of the narrative through minimal visual information, relying on the balance of the figures and the rhythmic quality of the lines. The work demonstrates Maillol's ability to translate the weight and volume of his three-dimensional practice into the two-dimensional plane of the printed page. It is a clear example of his late-career focus on classical themes and simplified, monumental figures.