Auguste Rodin

After my discussion of Michelangelo's David in an earlier post, you may realize that I really appreciate sculpture.  The earliest sculpture that I have seen is that of the Greeks in a museum in Athens.  Perhaps I will elaborate on that in another post, but today I want to discuss a modern sculptor's works.

Auguste Rodin was a famous French sculptor who lived from 1840 - 1917.  Several museums have been dedicated to his work including one in Philadelphia.  Probably his most well known works are The Thinker and The Kiss.  Actually the original inspiration for these works were part of the relief in Rodin's Gates of Hell based on Dante's Inferno.

You will notice The Thinker in the transom at the top over the doors.  Here are pictures of The Thinker and The Kiss:

The Thinker

Rodin himself said: "What makes my Thinker think is that he thinks not only with his brain, with his knitted brow, his distended nostrils and compressed lips, but with every muscle of his arms, back, and legs, with his clenched fist and gripping toes."

                                 The Kiss                 

However, my favorite is one of his earliest works -- The Age of Bronze.  It is a lifesize depiction of a young man, and he was even accused of making the plaster from an actual young man.  That was not true as he actually carved it though he may have used young men as models of beauty which he wished to depict.

The Age of Bronze

Many would argue that sculpture is very static and stationary since it is after all, statuary.  Personally, I do not agree since I see fluidity and motion, especially in this particular work.

Another great art form that I appreciate is ballet.  Choreographers seem to appreciate the motion in Rodin's sculpture, which is apparent in this beautiful ballet choreographed by Michael Smuin:

'The Eternal Idol'     (A Tribute to Rodin)

The Eternal Idol