Maillol Horvat

The musée Maillol closed unexpectedly at the beginning of 2015, and declared bankruptcy under conditions that are far from being clear. Its future is uncertain, and its collections are now invisible. This book by photographer Franck Horvat allows us to plunge into a series of terracotta figures that exalt the female body, Maillol’s eternal obsession, from his first Baigneuses in 1899 to the lewd Dina from 1937. Horvat was a long-time friend of Dina Vierny, the artist’s model and friend, then the founder of the museum. Now 87 years old, the artist - whose long career spanned fashion articles and photography - turned around these voluptuous statuettes to seize them from all angles. A feminine ideal born from clay, just like in the Bible.

• Maillol Horvat, Gallimard, 2015, 94 p., €32.