Evening star., 1939-12-10
Auguste Rodin
By Victor Frisch and Joseph
T. Shipley. NeU York: Fred
erick A. Stokes Co.
Auquste Rodin

New York: oxford University
Press.
The first named of these two
books is a volume Of memoirs. Vic
tor Frisch, who tells the story was
for years associated with Rodin in
the masters Paris studios. He had
Robins confidence and heard from
him much of his early history. He
has told the story of the acquaint-
ance here through the agency OF
Joseph Shipley. who. through per-
sonal discussion and examination OF
Mr.. Frisch's manuscripts, has or
ganized and builded this book"
The second-named volume is
chiefly a collection of photographs
of Robins work, though there is
also a brief biographical and ex-
planatory text by Sommerville Story.
The book contains 119 reproduc-
tions in monochrome photogravure
of the most best known of the
sculptor's creations, is large VOL
ume and very beautifully gotten up.
obviously for the Christmas gift
trade. The reviewer will go on rec
ord that, if anybody wants to give
her a copy, she will accept 1t with
joy and gratitude. More than this
it seems unnecessary to say.
AS to the Frisch book, it is an in
formative, though highly informal
thing. It contains an account of
Robins major battles with the
academicians for fair treatment of
his work, describes the conception
of many of the most famous Rodin
pieces and gives many intimate por-
traits of the master working and re-
laxed Indeed, if one were to take
objection to the volume on any one
count, it would be the count against
its intimate tone. Mr.. Frlsch,
knowing Rodin very we'll and OBJ
viously admiring him to the point
of worship, asks his readers to fol-
low him into such close personal
contact with his hero as is impos-
sible to mere member Of the pub
lie. The tender, the downright
adoring tone therefore becomes at
times embarrassing. One feels like
saying, Eyes. yes-he was splendid,
he was perfect-we grant 1t. But
can you not get on a little with
your story?" One feels, however,
that such an objection, ii made,
would be received by the author as
nothing sort of sacrilege.
He was a student sculptor in Mu-
Mich when Rodin came to that city
to give his first one-man show.
Some work of his attracted Robins
eye and led Rodin to invite him to
come to Paris and work as his as
sistant. The spirit in which this
call was accepted can be judged by
the following passage from the
book: THE words came as from a
distance, but with roar that rose
through all my world. And never
since. even in the darkest silence,
have I been unconscious of some
echo of that call And I shall hear
it until my weakening body wakes
my soul no more" Such an extrem-
ity of reverence must, of course, be
respected, for its sincerity cannot
be open to doubt. But 1t becomes
repetitious to the mind when one
reads several hundred pages OF 1t.
The work follows a shutting pat
tern back and forth across the
years. 1t builds up history OF
Robins childhood and youth by
weaving in conversations in which
the master impaired his early expe-
riences to his disciple 1t follows
somewhat the same pattern in tell
ing of Robins first sculptures and
their failure to win fame.
It then takes up the successive
events in Robins career which Mr.
Frisch personally witnessed, as the
battle over the Balzac monument,
the creation of the Hugo memorial
the long and never finished evolu-
ton of the Gates of Hell'' and the
making of the famous Eve"
All through these passages OF his
tory there is interspersed repeated
statements Of the authors estimate
Of Robins enemies. descriptions OF
the Rodin household In which the
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