Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) The Wave. 1895-1898. Woodcut. 197x171mm. Guérin 8. Very fine, fresh proof on chine volant, signed with the monogram in pencil. Full margins. Edition of 60 proofs on this paper. Total edition of 141 proofs. Dry stamp: H. Petiet éditeur Paris (Lugt 2021a). Aristide Maillol, both in his engraving La Vague and in his eponymous painting of 1891-1898 in the Petit Palais in Paris (donated by Ambroise Vollard in 1937), clearly draws on the Japanese aesthetic that marked Western art at the end of the 19th century. The simplification of forms, the stylization of contours and the subtle interplay between full and empty spaces made possible by woodcutting are directly reminiscent of Japanese prints, notably those by Hokusai and Hiroshige, where nature is often depicted with an economy of means and great expressivity. The implicit dialogue with Hokusai's famous engraving, The Great Wave of Kanagawa, becomes almost humorous, for while the Japanese master depicts a Dantesque scene where the wave threatens fragile boats, Maillol's surge over the female body adopts a clearly erotic connotation.