Evening star., 1946-10-27
Art
and
Artists.
Key to Robins Work
On Exhibition Here,
Supplied by His Own
Writings and Talk
By Florence S. Berrymon


/ An exhibition of sculpture, draw
ings and prints by Rodin opened at
the National Gallery of Art early
this month, to remain until Decem-
ber IL. All the exhibits belong to
the gallery, having been drawn
from a collection of Robins works
given in 1912 by Mrs. John w. Simp-
son and from q set Of drypoints
which form part of the extensive
gift of prints from Lessing j. Rosen-
wald.
Although small (3s items in alb
this show affords Washingtonians
a glimpse of the great French
sculptor, quite comprehensive when
compared to what one could see Of
his work in this city only six years
ago, on his Tooth anniversary. The
Corcoran Gallery's little marble
Eve" and a few other scattered
items provided only a fragmentary
idea.
If any one needs key to Robins
work, he will find it supplied fire.
quently by the master himself, in his
writings and reported conversations.
THE realities of life surpass our
loftiest dreams" he wrote in a
French journal some IS years ago.
"All nature has a meaning, all life
is mystery worthy of our deepest
study" he said to a young Amer
lean woman whose reports OF his
conversations were published by
Leila Mechlin in the American Mag
azine of Art on number of occa-
sionS.
"I cannot create" he said. God
alone can do that, only reproduce
what I see before me. cannot i'm
prove on what lie bon Dieu has
made"
But he reproduced so accurately,
that in the case OF one life-slze
statue, the famous "Age Of Bronze"
"a reduced version of which is in the
current exhibition) Rodin was in
ferentially accused of being an i'm
postor, of having made the figure
from casts taken directly from life.
Actually, he had modelled this
statue over period of Is months,
during which a young Belgian SOL
dier posed for him. After furious
arguments and appeals, to the Min
lister of Fine Arts, Rodin was vim
dicated publicly and the "Age of
Bronze" was placed in the Paris
Salon of 1880.
Drew Inspiration
From Dante's Works
The Minister of Fine Arts, recog-
nizing Robins genius, commissioned
him to decorate a doorway for the
projected Palace Of Decorative Arts.
The sculptor began work on an am
bilious design for 1.-THE Gates OF
He'll" inspired by Dante's Inferno"
This was destined to occupy him at
intervals for the rest of his life, al
though the building was never
erected, nor was his work carried
out as he intended. In most opinions,
this was fortunate, for his design
comprised a multitude OF small fig
ures and groups, which would have
given the great doors confused and
overburdened appearance. But some
of the groups and figures seen in
dividualIy, are masterpieces. Out
standing is THE Thinker" a re-
duced version of which the National
Gallery also shows. This best known
of all Robins works, was originally
conceived, it is said, to symbolic
Dante, brooding over characters in
his poem.
This exhibition emphasizes init
mate and informal aspects of RoA
dins production. In addition toI
the famous bronzes mentioned, there
are several marbles, among them
the beautiful portrait of Mrs. Simp-
son, the donor, which was first
exhibited at the Paris Salon of
1904. There are also several ex-
amples of smaller sketches and
models in plaster and terra Gotta,
including two vivacious busts Of
young women, which were compare
lively early works. AL were ac-
quired directly from Rodin by Mrs.
Simpson toward the beginning Of
the century. Some of them were
inscribed and dedicated to her by
the sculptor.
The drawings are also part of
the Simpson collection. Rodin
habitually made rapid notations
from the nude model, a few quick