Maillol was part of the painters’ group of the “Nabis” (or prophets). When he became a sculptor, he was inspired by the classicism of ancient Greece. His female nudes lean towards abstraction and represent allegorical themes. The River (1938), which is in the Citygarden of St. Louis, is an allegory not only of a geographical feature, but also of the suffering caused by war. Many art critics consider Maillol to be the first modern sculptor.
