Accustomed to the highly artificial appearance of most 19th-century academic sculpture, the critics of the day refused to believe that Rodin was able to model a figure so realistically without using plaster casts of a live model. In 1880 he received a commission from the French government to design monumental doors for a proposed new museum, a work that preoccupied him for the rest of his life. D uring the 1880s, Rodin became one of the most successful French artists. This led to one of the most bitter public debates in the history of 19th-century art. R odin was not only a sculptor of public monuments but a tireless artist who produced numerous small and intimate sculptures.
Credit is attributed when known.
Some works are considered to be in the public domain, based on current U.S. and international copyright acts. For more information on copyright laws, please refer to the Artists Rights Society and Benedict O'Mahoney's The Copyright Web Site . The scandal which ensued after its first exhibition established his artistic reputation. This sculpture, dated circa 1889-90, is part of the permanent collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California. The prolific Nicholas Pioch offers insights on Rodin's life, as well as several close-up views of the artist's work.