The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-21
AUCUSTE ROBIN

The greatest sculptor since Michael
An~elo"
7h,-s many referred to Auguste
Rodin. the humble French peasant and
artisan, who struggled for fifty years
against the most dire poverty to be-
come. If not greater than Michael
Angelo, at least the greatest sculptor
OF LIS time, and who. a his death,
was known by all the world.
Rod'n was born in Paris in 1910
He began his tttic education as a
workman and as an assistant to sculp-
tors many OF whose names have long
since been forgotten. From 1854 to
1870 he lahored In the ateliers of
Barge and Carrier Belleuse. during
which period he met a fellow work
n IN, Constant, whom Rodin had al
v'aNs io~ Sod pointed out 10 him the
sectet OF modelling that brought him
fame
Never see a form merely as q sur
face. hut as an outer extremity and
expression of an interior mass" Ro-
DIN SAYS Constant told him, and Ro-
din believed that this was the method
Of the great Greek sculptors.
Robins art was revolutionary, Much
of hts work was ridiculed by the
public whom Rodin referred to as
that creature with million heads"
critics and his fellow sculptors. II
and much of II misunderstood by
took many years for Rod'n TO con
vince the world of art that great
sculpture Is not necessarily pretty
and pleasing 1t was ut this time
that the great Frenchman told {
friend 4 had rather be understood by
few than known to the world
nile gtfli Ia harir0
Rodin submitted his first work The
Man With a Broken Nose" to the
salon in Paris THIS was in 1864
The model was rejected without com
mcnt. II was a bittcr diSappoint-
ment to the sculptor, who, because
OF his poverty and long hours of la .
bcr, had been compelled TO spend n
consldera BILE period In completion,
and knew that before anything fur
Their could he submitted 1t would be
many weary years. AS matter of
TACT Rodin did not make another
attempt until 1877, when h. sent 10
the salon The Age OF Rronze."
In this inHtauce Robins experfsnce
WIS even more bitter than formerly
Not only war THE Age OF Bronze
rejected but It's author was accused
or having cast 1t from life. Disap-
ipolntment was too keen in Robins
heert for hlm TO appreciate the com
lpiiment q this humiIhtlng accuse
ton.
Three years later Robins st. John
the BAPTIST was exhit tied and came
10 the attention Of the SCULPTOR
Haucher Ee was SO pleased with II
that he asked Rodin to, execute FOR
him group % children. uauchar -
ra4ned to watch Rodtn work and
was dumfounded to observe Rodir
complete the work IN a few hours
So expressive OF Robins genius was
me Tf CUP that Baucher rushed Off r.
, tell his friends OF n asserting thai
IN MS mind there WAS no question but
that Robins Age of Bronze" was
lorIEinal and not cas-, from life
From this time on Robins fame
commenced 70 grow. The govern,
| ment purchases the age Of Bronze
sno II is now in the, Museum Of Lux.
embourg Later Rodin executed his
Victor Hugo" the "Rurrhers NJ "a
: lais" and his figure of Ba,zac. which
was unveiled in 1898 This latte
aroused storm Of criticism and rial.
, 5cule throughout France. 1t was a
work in the rourh, and only intend
led TO display the great thought OF
the man The controversy over the
Baizac figure ragged inter@oIv and
even eclipsed for 4 time the prevfu-.
trial
The first wife Of the great SCULPTOR
was Tessaut life himself She did
not Improve with Redln. however
Statesmen, writer's. artists and sculp.
tors visiting Rodin at his home. found
her plain little old woman. sitting
In corner with cap and shawl, knit
ting Soon after she died Rodin mar.
ried again, this time another peasant
Rose Beurre, seventv~two years old
Rodin then had reached the ripe ace
of seventy-six. Rose had been hi.
Ihousekeeper for years. and in his
Iearlier and less successful DAYS haf
frequently served as his model II
her youth she had been extremel,
beautiful The Romance Of Rodir
and Rose" was the only romance OF
the great mans life They were mar.
iried In little VILLAGE church ut Meu.
don on the Seine. Rose. however, was
iill when the marriage took place. and
died only month after.
Recently Rodin willed all OF hi
works TO the French rovdrnm ent FoI
sex eral wears he had resided at the
Hotel Bron famous mansion N
Par's, once the property of the Dive
de Biron. In 1905 Rodin took Il MS
a studio. In willing his many won.
derful works Of OFT. many OF whtcf
are uncompietcd Rodip provided that
they should he kert in he Hotel Ri.
ron, 10 be known as the Rodin
museum.