Les Nymphes

Les Nymphes (or les Trois Nymphes, or Nymphes de la prairie) depicts several female figures, possibly nymphs, in flowing robes and is known for its use of simplified forms and stylized anatomy to convey a sense of harmony and balance. The arrangement of these three nude females recalls the traditional composition of 'The Three Graces'. However, Maillol insisted that they were three nymphs of the 'flowery meadows', and commented that they were too powerful to represent the Graces. Each of the nymphs represents the flower with which it is crowned: the daisy, the buttercup and the marjoram. It is a major work of sculpture from the interwar period, with which Maillol was particularly satisfied. Summary of the essential characteristics of his style: plenitude of forms, classicism of line, symbolism of figures.