Monument to Cézanne at the Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

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Maillol received a commission in 1912 from Frantz Jourdain, founder of the Salon d'Automne and friend of Paul Cézanne's group, for a monument to the late master of Aix-en-Provence, who had passed away six years earlier. The committee struggled to secure sufficient funds or agree on details, and the outbreak of World War I in 1914 put an end to their plans. Maillol, who considered Cézanne "the genius of modern painting," kept the idea alive and returned to it after the war ended in 1918. Maillol had already created several preparatory studies, experimenting with reclining poses, including those seen in many smaller bronzes cast later, where one leg was significantly higher than the other. By 1920, Maillol arrived at a definitive version for his Monument à Paul Cézanne: the legs of the recumbent girl were only slightly bent, and she offered olive branches in her raised hand (not included in this lead version). Maillol envisioned her as a bather, one of Cézanne's key subjects; she reclined on flowing drapery, as if resting in a river current, symbolizing passing time. Her forms were classical, rendered in simple, unadorned volumes, consistent with Cézanne's conception of form as Maillol understood it. The antique stylization of the girl's hair carried connotations of ancient Roman origins of Provençal culture. Maillol drew on the sense of serenity and repose he instilled in this work, along with the olive branch motif, when creating his tribute to French war dead in the Monument de Port-Vendres (1921-1923). The final stone version was ready by 1925. Edouard Vuillard executed a large painting between 1931 and 1937 depicting Maillol working on the Cézanne monument; he based this tribute to Maillol on a study made while the sculpture was in progress. Maillol had hoped the citizens of Aix would place the sculpture by their town square's fountain, believing setting and surrounding space were crucial to his design's harmony. His plans fell through, however, as the town rejected the monument. Gaston Doumergue, France's President, intervened, and had the state acquire the sculpture for Paris. In October 1929, the stone version of the Monument à Paul Cézanne was finally installed between the double ramps leading to the Orangerie's terrace in Jardins des Tuileries gardens. A lead cast replaced the stone sculpture in 1943; the latter is now at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. A bronze version from this edition was installed near the Carrousel in Jardins des Tuileries in 1964, one of eighteen large sculptures Dina Vierny donated to France. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help.