Biography

Maillol was born at Banyuls-sur-Mer, a small town in the south of France. He moved to Paris in 1881, where he trained as a painter from 1885. He also took up tapestry weaving, establishing his own workshop at Banyuls in 1893. Maillol made his first sculpture in 1895 and decided to concentrate on sculpture around 1900, as the detailed work involved in weaving affected his eyesight. By 1910, Maillol was internationally famous, receiving many commissions. After Rodin's death, Maillol was widely regarded as his greatest successor, and his work exercised an enormous influence throughout Europe and the United States.