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The River

The River is a lead sculpture by the French sculptor Aristide Maillol. Created in 1938, it is installed in Paris, France. The work has been displayed since 1964 in the Carrousel Garden at the Tuileries, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Its installation was part of a group of Maillol statues exhibited outdoors on the initiative of André Malraux, following Dina Vierny’s bequest of eighteen sculptures by the artist. The installation was supervised by Dina Vierny herself and later photographed by Robert Doisneau.

The River, a dark reclining nude female sculpture on a stone plinth outdoors.
The River, a reclining nude sculpture shown outdoors on a stone plinth.
March 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Rivière by Aristide Maillol, a reclining nude female sculpture in a shallow pool with a small water jet nearby.
La Rivière by Aristide Maillol shown reclining in a shallow pool in Zürich.
© · Public domain
La Rivière by Aristide Maillol, a dark reclining female sculpture on a stone base in a garden setting.
Aristide Maillol’s La Rivière shown in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts sculpture garden.
September 2013 © Eli Christman · CC BY 2.0
The River by Aristide Maillol, a dark recumbent nude sculpture on a pedestal in a sculpture garden.
Aristide Maillol’s The River in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts sculpture garden.
September 2013 © Eli Christman · CC BY 2.0
The River, a dark reclining female nude sculpture beside water with trees and other sculptures in the background.
The River sculpture displayed in a garden setting with water, trees, and other works nearby.
March 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleLa Rivière
Alternative titlesIl fiume; Der Fluss; The River
TypeSculpture

Creator

ArtistAristide Maillol
Artist nationalityFrench
Caster/FoundryCast by Alexis and Eugène Rudier

Historical context

Date created1938
Artistic periodOne of the monumental statues from the end of the sculptor's life
Origin of the workBegan as a commission by the writer Henri Barbusse for a sculpture of a woman stabbed in the back and falling to the ground, symbolizing the consequences of war
Development of the workWhen the commission fell through, Maillol reused and modified the idea to create The River
Plaster modelThe 1938 plaster model is missing

Discovery and provenance

Model / inspirationDina Vierny was the muse and model for the work

Physical characteristics

Depicted figureFemale nude reclining on her left side, head thrown back in unstable balance
PoseLying on her left side, head thrown back in unstable balance, with raised arms suggesting the pressure of a powerful current

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationThe woman personifies a river

Materials

MaterialLead

Location and ownership

Current locationJardin du Carrousel, Tuileries, 1st arrondissement of Paris, France
Installed since1964
Installation contextPart of a group of Maillol statues displayed outdoors on the initiative of André Malraux after Dina Vierny bequeathed eighteen sculptures by the artist; the installation was curated by Vierny and photographed by Robert Doisneau
Multiple versionsMany versions of the sculpture exist around the world, including examples in private collections
Known versionsKunsthalle Hamburg in Hamburg; a fountain in Zürich's Talacker neighborhood; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia; the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Citygarden in St. Louis, Missouri; and Carrousel Garden in Paris
Museum version in HamburgKunsthalle Hamburg
Version in ZurichA fountain in Zürich's Talacker neighborhood
MoMA versionMuseum of Modern Art, New York City
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts versionVirginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia
Norton Simon Museum versionNorton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston versionMuseum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Other locationCitygarden in St. Louis, Missouri