Auguste Rodin: The French sculptor's five most iconic works - pictures - Mirror Online Auguste Rodin: The French sculptor's five most iconic works - pictures The father of modern sculpture's best-known masterpieces include The Kiss, The Thinker and The Burghers of Calais Share Father of modern sculpture: Auguste Rodin (Photo: Getty) Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Google is celebrating the 172nd birthday of Auguste Rodin , the universally accepted father of modern sculpture. The French sculptor's work was initially unpopular, but in his later years he became a world-renowned artist. Today's Google doodle iincorporates one of Rodin's best-known works, The Kiss. Tribute: Google's version of The Kiss Here we take a closer look at Rodin's five most famous sculptures. The Kiss This 1889 marble sculpture of an embracing couple depicts the 13th-century Italian noblewoman Francesca da Rimini from Dante's Inferno, who falls in love with her husband's younger brother Paolo. The couple are discovered and killed by Francesca's husband.

The lovers' lips do not actually touch in the sculpture, suggesting that they were interrupted and met their demise without them ever having kissed. The Kiss (Photo: Getty) The Thinker Probably the best known of Rodin's monumental works, this depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle. First conceived circa 1880–1881 as a depiction of Dante, the image evolved to represent all poets and creators. It now lives in the Rodin Museum in Paris, and is often used to represent philosophy. The Thinker (Photo: Getty) The Burghers of Calais Also completed in 1889, this sculpture serves as a monument to the moment in 1347 during the Hundred Years' War when Calais was captured by the English. Edward III offered to spare the people if any six of the French port's top leaders would surrender themselves to him almost naked, with nooses around their necks, and carrying the keys to the city and castle. One of the wealthiest of the town leaders, Eustache de Saint Pierre, volunteered first, and five other burghers soon followed suit, stripping down to their breeches.

This poignant mix of defeat, heroic self-sacrifice, and willingness to face imminent death was captured by Rodin in his sculpture. Burghers of Calais (Photo: Getty) The Gates of Hell This sculptural group work depicts a scene from "The Inferno" and contains 180 figures ranging in size from 15cm high up to more than one metre. It was commissioned in 1880 and was meant to be delivered in 1885, but Rodin continued to work on and off on the project for 37 years until his death in 1917. Rodin worked on The Gates of Hell at the Hôtel Biron in Paris, and in 1919, two years after his death, the hotel became the Musée Rodin for the world to enjoy his work. The Gates of Hell (Photo: Getty) The Age of Bronze This bronze statue of a life-size nude man was first exhibited in 1877 in Paris, when Rodin was falsely accused of having made it by casting a living model. He vigorously denied the charge, but the controversy benefited him, as members of the public were so eager to see his work and decide for themselves.

The figure was created to suggest heroism and suffering, what many of Rodin's countrymen went through while fighting in the Franco-Prussian War from 1870 to 1871. The Age of Bronze (Photo: Getty) Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent The Kiss at the Rodin Museum, Paris ~ Victoria Palace Hotel at the Musée Rodin in Paris ~ stay: at the luxury Victoria Palace Hotel A visit to the Musée Rodin to see the beautiful and seductive marble sculpture The Kiss is a must when you visit Paris, as it exudes the sensibilities of the most romantic city of all. The museum also exhibits Rodin's other most significant sculptures The Thinker and The Gates of Hell. The perfect complement to your visit to the Musée Rodin is a stay at the luxurious and romantic Victoria Palace Hotel in nearby Saint-Germain-des-Pres which strikes the perfect balance between traditional elegance and exceptional comfort.

The Kiss The Kiss is one of Auguste Rodin's most famous works, was completed in 1899 in white marble and like many of his sculptures was originally part of his monumental bronze portal The Gates of Hell. The couple represented in The Kiss were eventually removed from The Gates of Hell and replaced by a different pair of lovers. The sculpture depicts the 13th century noblewoman Francesca da Rimini and her lover Paulo who is her husband's brother, as represented in Dante's Inferno, which can be seen in his hand. Notice also in the sculpture that the lovers lips do not actually touch, representing the non-consumation of the tryst. The Kiss was originally commissioned by the French government, but such was it's appeal that Rodin produced 2 additional replicas for the eccentric American collector Edward Perry Warren in 1900 and for Carl Jacobsen in Copenhagen in 1903. Many high-quality smaller copies were made after Rodin's death in marble and bronze.

VICTORIA PALACE HOTEL **** Click here for details The Thinker Like The Kiss Rodin's The Thinker was also originally part of his portal The Gates of Hell to represent Dante considering his great poem as he sits on top of the gates. Comprised of bronze and marble, the first version was completed in 1902 and became the property of the city of Paris after its citizens raised the funds to purchase the sculpture. The most well-known of Rodin's pieces it has been used worldwide to represent philosophy and intellectual pursuits, and features on many textbook covers and articles. More than 20 cast of the sculpture were produced - some larger than the original - and grace museums around the world. Rodin Museum The Rodin Museum was formerly the Hotel Biron where Rodin stayed from 1908. On his death in 1917 he donated all his sculptures plus other works of art to the country on the condition that the hotel be converted into a museum to exhibit his work.

Subsequently it opened in 1919 as the Musée Rodin and it contains not only his most celebrated work The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, but also pieces by van Gogh and Renoir, as well as numerous works by Camille Claudel. The museum is one of the most accessible in Paris as it is centrally located at the Varenne metro stop, has comparatively inexpensive entrance fees and contains attractive gardens which display some of Rodin's work. A pretty lake with a café is located at the rear of the museum. ~ Rodin Museum near the Invalides ~ The Kiss | artble.com The Kiss The Kiss Story / Theme The Divine Comedy Rodin's The Gates of Hell illustrates characters from Dante's Inferno and one such scene includes that of the tragic mutual love of Paolo Malatesta for his sister-in-law Francesca de Rimini. Although this pairing was later removed from The Gates of Hell because it depicted a positive state, Rodin went on to create it as a full-size sculpture later in his career. Its blend of eroticism and idealism makes it an iconic image of love. Dante's Divine Comedy: For The Kiss Rodin chose to depict a story from Dante's Divine Comedy.

In the fourth level of the 'Inferno' Dante comes across Francesca De Rimini and her brother-in-law, Paolo Malatesta who had an affair in 13th century Italy. The pair were real figures who lived during Dante's lifetime. Rodin captures the moment when the pair realize their love for one another and kiss for the first time, while reading the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. At this very moment they were discovered by Francesca's husband, Giovanni, who promptly stabbed them both, ending their lives. Rodin depicted the book itself, which can be seen in Paolo's hand, but did not depict the pair in any particular setting or with appropriate clothing that would identify them to the viewer. The Kiss Inspirations Camille Claudel Fere-en-Tardenois Although Rodin's main inspiration for The Kiss can only have come from a literary source, its classical composition was taken from classic sculptures of Rodin's time and no more so than the work of his mistress, Camille Claudel. Rodin decided not to include The Kiss in the finished composition, but presented it to the public as a sculpture on its own. The work was an immediate success and was reproduced in marble and bronze in varying sizes.

However, Rodin considered it overly traditional, calling The Kiss 'a large sculpted knick-knack following the usual formula.' 'The sculptor must learn to reproduce the surface, which means all that vibrates on the surface; soul, love, passion, life... Sculpture is thus the art of hollows and mounds, not of smoothness, or even polished planes.' Dante's Divine Comedy: The two lovers depicted in The Kiss are Paolo and Francesca , two people who lived in the 13th century and were immortalized in poetry by Dante. The Divine Comedy was a popular literary inspiration for many 19th century artists. The Kiss Analysis The Kiss Auguste Rodin The Kiss was a huge success when it was exhibited in Paris in 1877 and Rodin captured an intimate moment with both sensuality and romance. Today it remains one of the most renowned and admired pieces of sculpture in the world. The Kiss depicts a moment from Dante's Divine Comedy in which two lovers, Paolo and Francesca, kiss for the first time. Composition: The intertwined figures ensure that this piece is aesthetically pleasing from all angles.

Rodin noted that he chose to keep the figures nude so that nothing could interfere with the raw emotion that he wanted the viewer to feel immediately. As with many of Rodin's sculptures The Kiss is designed to be viewed from every angle and Rodin wanted the piece to be believable and real. The artist certainly creates this and by making a sculpture which is visually stimulating from 360 degrees, his dedication and skill is obvious. The contrast between the smooth skin of the lovers and the rough marble of the rock they are sitting on adds further sensual elements to this piece. Mood Elicited: The passion and romance of The Kiss is undeniable; the figures are so involved in one another that their faces are barely visible. The embrace with which they hold each other makes the tragedy of their love even greater and Rodin draws on themes which all audiences can appreciate in a way which is both romantic and sensual. Although both figures are nude, Rodin's skill as an artist ensured that the way the figures were rendered was not overtly sexual. Method: The Kiss was originally carved by one of Rodin's assistants, Jean Turcan but Turcan left Rodin's studio before the work was completed.

This meant that the original copy of 'The Kiss' was roughly finished and Rodin chose to leave it this way rather than have it worked on my one of his other assistants. The Kiss Critical Reception Auguste Rodin The Independent If August Rodin suffered criticism during his distinguished career it was not for one of his most beloved pieces, The Kiss. In fact Rodin himself was the harshest critic of this piece. Reception during the Artist's Lifetime: Rodin exhibited The Kiss with his Monument to Balzac in 1898 because he knew this classical form of sculpture would go down well with critics and the viewing public, and he wanted to soften the attention which his more abstract Monument to Balzac was bound to attract. Rodin's predictions were correct and although Monument to Balzac was widely criticized, The Kiss was very well received. Some critics were surprised by the lack of costume or setting that placed the lovers as those from Dante's Divine Comedy. However, Rodin wanted the emotion of the scene to be the only thing people considered upon viewing the sculpture and therefore chose to present the pair nude for this reason. Despite the fact that The Kiss was a hit, Rodin himself did not give it much value.

He wrote - "The embrace of The Kiss is undoubtedly very attractive. But I have found nothing in this group. It is a theme frequently treated in the academic tradition, a subject complete in itself and artificially isolated from the world surrounding it; it is a big ornament sculpted according to the usual formula and which focuses attention on the two personages instead of opening up wide horizons to daydreams". Later Reception: 20th Century: Although much of Rodin's work went out of style in favor of more experimental sculpture in the 20th century the lasting appeal of The Kiss did not waver significantly. 21st Century: In 2004 The Kiss was named the United Kingdom's favorite masterpiece by a poll undertaken by The Independent newspaper. This poll not only demonstrates Rodin's everlasting appeal but also the power that The Kiss still holds over the viewer. The Kiss Related Sculptures The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil Ary Scheffer Morte di Francesca da Rimini e di Paolo Malatesta Alexandre Cabanel The Kiss Constantin Brâncu Rodin's The Kiss is one of the most famous sculptures in the world and has inspired many modern artists to create work upon the same theme.

The theme of illicit love which Rodin captured in this work and the story of Paolo and Francesca as told in Dante's The Divine Comedy was very popular in 19th century art and many artists of Rodin's time covered similar themes. The Kiss itself was created in marble three times in Rodin's workshop. Works by Other Artist's on the Theme of Dante's Divine Comedy: Ary Scheffer, The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil, 1855: Another depiction of the forbidden lovers killed by Francesca's husband, Giovanni. Alexandre Cabanel, Morte di Francesca da Rimini e di Paolo Malatesta, 1870: This painting shows the scene of Francesca da Rimini who, forced to marry Giovanni Malatesta, later falls in love with his brother Paul. While exchanging their first kiss, Francesca's husband kills them with a single sword.

Work inspired by The Kiss: The Kiss, Constantin Brancusi, 1907: Constantin Brancusi, while denying that he was influenced by Rodin (in whose studio he had spent a few months upon his arrival in Paris), used the theme of lovers kissing repeatedly from 1907 to 1945. The Kiss Locations Through Time - Notable Sales Rodin's The Kiss was originally part of the The Gates of Hell composition. However, it was removed from this piece as the artist considered it as a state of happiness that did not fit the rest of the piece. When Rodin produced this piece individually in 1889 it was immediately popular with critics. As a result of this success the artist received two further commissions for marble copies of the sculpture. One was for Carl Jacobsen for a museum in Copenhagen and the other was for the art collector Edward Perry Warren. Today Perry Warren's copy resides in the Tate Gallery, London while the original The Kiss is in the Musee Rodin in Paris, France. The Kiss Artist Auguste Rodin The Kiss is one of Auguste Rodin's most famous works and it is one which propelled the artist to immediate fame around the world.

As part of The Gates of Hell, The Kiss was part of Rodin's first public commission and helped to cement his reputation especially when commissions were made for The Kiss as a sculpture in its own right. The Kiss Art Period Impressionism is a movement that stylistically can only be defined in terms of painting. For this reason it is difficult to link the sculptures of Auguste Rodin with this movement other than the fact that they happened at the same time and Rodin knew many of Impressionism's most famous artists on a social level. The Kiss Bibliography Below is a list of internet and literary sources that offer more in-depth information about Rodin's The Kiss. Books: Rodin, Auguste (1840-1917) - 1889 The Kiss (Musee Rodin, P… | Flickr RasMarley By: RasMarley Rodin, Auguste (1840-1917) - 1889 The Kiss (Musee Rodin, Paris - marble) Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past.

He was schooled traditionally, took a craftsman-like approach to his work, and desired academic recognition, although he was never accepted into Paris's foremost school of art. Sculpturally, he possessed a unique ability to model a complex, turbulent, deeply pocketed surface in clay. Many of Rodin's most notable sculptures were roundly criticized during his lifetime. They clashed with the predominant figure sculpture tradition, in which works were decorative, formulaic, or highly thematic. Rodin's most original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. Rodin was aware of the controversy surrounding his work, but refused to change his style. From the unexpected realism of his first major figure—inspired by his 1875 trip to Italy—to the unconventional memorials whose commissions he later sought, Rodin's reputation grew, such that he became the preeminent French sculptor of his time. By 1900, he was a world-renowned artist. Wealthy private clients sought Rodin's work after his World's Fair exhibit, and he kept company with a variety of high-profile intellectuals and artists.

His sculpture suffered a decline in popularity after his death in 1917, but within a few decades his legacy solidified. Rodin remains one of the few sculptors widely known outside the visual arts community. Done "The Kiss" and the 1889 Exposition | Alberti’s Window Friday, June 18th, 2010 "The Kiss" and the 1889 Exposition Did you know that a version of Rodin’s The Kiss (1888-89, shown right) was slated to be shown in the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris? The marble sculpture wasn’t finished in time (largely due to the serious illness of an assistant), which I think is really unfortunate. The Eiffel Tower was also constructed for the exhibition that year, which obviously ended up being the highlight of the world fair event. I wonder how The Kiss would have been received by the public, in comparison to the popular Eiffel Tower. Would people at the fair have loved it as well? (And what would Gauguin have said about it ? Ha ha!) I like to think about why this sculpture might have been chosen for the 1889 exhibition.

What is it about this sculpture that would have been perceived as typically “French?” Obviously not the literal subject matter, since it was inspired by Dante’s Inferno. Perhaps the passion and love embodied in the piece appealed to the French culture? I think it’s likely that this sculpture was selected for both its artistic nod towards Classicism, and also its blatant disregard for proportions and perfection. This sculpture is indeed modern and innovative in that sense, and it definitely would have communicated that idea of French modernity to those who visited the fair. Why do you think that the French might have wanted this sculpture in the 1889 Exposition Universelle? Why do you like (or dislike – *gasp!*) this sculpture? The Kiss is one of the featured works of art in “The Private Life of a Masterpiece” BBC series. The episode of The Kiss is quite interesting, since it gives background on the copy of the The Kiss that now belongs to the Tate Modern. I didn’t realize that the Tate sculpture had spent time being 1) hidden under a tarpaulin (due to its scandalous subject matter) and 2) stored in a carriage house and placed under bales of hay or straw!

If you’re interested, you can win a copy of this episode by entering my giveaway to receive a free DVD set of “The Private Life of a Masterpiece” BBC series. e June 19, 2010 at 6:18 am I've seen this (not the original, but a casting) at the National Gallery of Art! I remember taking pictures of it, too! It's such an interesting piece and it had a lot of fun angles. I need to go through my pictures and see if I got any interesting shots. One thing that I think is cool about this statue is that their lips aren't touching — I love that the moment captured is before the kiss happens. I also love that the male is holding the book to which the couple fell in love reading. I think it is a great piece of art! phin Here is a PDF link to an article with a rather funny comment on BYU's censorship of the sculptor that I thought you would enjoy. Scroll down a little bit and you will see the comic. ps. the article itself has nothing to do with your post.

ixoj June 21, 2010 at 2:18 pm I have seen the original, and t-rav nearly had to drag me away from it. I love it. I love how they're partially intertwined and passion that exudes from a chunk of cold rock. And how his hand presses into the flesh of her thigh. It's amazing. Hels June 22, 2010 at 11:20 am The French would have wanted any cutting edge architecture, textiles, porcelain, science, design etc in the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Who knew when they would be hosting a world fair again, so they had to grab the opportunities that were available to them. Anything to knock the thousands and thousands of visitors' socks off! M June 23, 2010 at 3:57 pm I didn't realize that there was a casting at the NGA, e! That's fun. If you have any good photos, I'd love to see them. Phin, your link is really amusing. The BBC series actually discusses the BYU exhibition (and controversy) for about five minutes.

It sure attracted a lot of attention (and still attracts attention, if BBC decided to select it for part of the episode). I love the hand-on-thigh too, ixoj. That's one of my favorite parts about the sculpture – it seems so real. And one gets a sense of movement and life in Paolo's hand. I'm glad to see that so many people like this sculpture. Like Hels mentioned, this work would have "knocked the socks off" of the visitors who came to the 1889 world fair. Too bad that Rodin never got a chance to showcase it at such an important event. heidenkind June 23, 2010 at 5:49 pm I saw the casting for this sculpture at the NGA, too. It always reminds me of Canova's Cupid and Psyche. Perhaps it was considered modern and French because it tied France's love of Neoclassical sculptors like Canova with modernism through the use of "real" subjects (as opposed to the mythological Cupid and Psyche)? Ashley I have always loved this sculpture, the lines are just SO beautiful.

I'll never in my life forget the day we went to the Rodin Museum on our study abroad. Wasn't that so amazing? Took my breath away! Char August 15, 2010 at 2:57 pm I also love this piece. Definitely the fact that the lips don't touch preserves the tension and anticipation of the kiss. But I also wonder if the fact that they are trapped in stone in the moment before fulfillment is a nod to the punishment of Paolo and Francesca? (If you're thinking in terms of Dante). And I just realized something. One of my favorite movies is The Bridges of Madison County (a story about adultery), and in it Meryl Streep plays a woman named Francesca! I'd never put that together before! I always felt bad for Paolo and Francesca.

Artwork by Auguste Rodin - Danaïd,1889, | Sculpture | Artstack - art online Auguste Rodin (468 artworks, 7,911 followers) François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917), known as Auguste Rodin (/oʊˈɡuːst roʊˈdæn/; French: [oɡyst ʁɔdɛ̃]), was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past. He was schooled traditionally, took a craftsman-like approach to his work, and desired academic recognition, although he was never accepted into Paris's foremost school of art.Sculpturally, Rodin possessed a unique ability to model a complex, turbulent, deeply pocketed surface in clay. Many of his most notable sculptures were roundly criticized during his lifetime. They clashed with predominant figurative sculpture traditions, in which works were decorative, formulaic, or highly thematic.

Rodin's most original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. Rodin was sensitive to the controversy surrounding his work, but refused to change his style. Successive works brought increasing favor from the government and the artistic community.From the unexpected realism of his first major figure – inspired by his 1875 trip to Italy – to the unconventional memorials whose commissions he later sought, Rodin's reputation grew, such that he became the preeminent French sculptor of his time. By 1900, he was a world-renowned artist. Wealthy private clients sought Rodin's work after his World's Fair exhibit, and he kept company with a variety of high-profile intellectuals and artists. He married his lifelong companion, Rose Beuret, in the last year of both their lives. His sculptures suffered a decline in popularity after his death in 1917, but within a few decades, his legacy solidified. Rodin remains one of the few sculptors widely known outside the visual arts community.

The Kiss Analysis | artble.com The Kiss Analysis Introduction Dante holding The Divine Comedy The Kiss was hailed as a masterpiece when it was first exhibited in Paris in 1877 and even today it is still one of the most well-known and admired pieces of sculpture in the world. In creating this piece Rodin drew on his experience to capture the mood of a particular moment and managed to create a sense of sensuality and romance. Rodin drew from his knowledge of Dante's The Divine Comedy and in particularly the story of Paolo and Francesca, an adulterous couple from 13th century Italy. Dante sees the pair in the second circle of Hell and Rodin chose the moment when the lovers first kiss, just before they were brutally murdered by Francesca's husband, Gianciotto Malatesta. The Kiss Composition The Kiss Auguste Rodin Rodin chose to construct the lovers in the nude as he believed adding details such as clothing distracted the viewer from the raw emotion which they should feel when looking upon a sculpture. Rodin himself described The Kiss as: "...

a theme frequently treated in the academic tradition, a subject complete in itself and artificially isolated from the world surrounding it; it is a big ornament sculpted according to the usual formula and which focuses attention on the two personages instead of opening up wide horizons to daydreams." The way in which Rodin has entwined the lovers gives this composition movement and energy. The Kiss Use of Technique Jean Turcan Auguste Rodin Like many artists of his time, Rodin saw the creation of sculpture as the culmination of minds and relied heavily on the skill of his assistances. Running a large workshop, Rodin meticulously governed the creation of his sculptures, drawing on the experience he gained in commercial workshops during his youth. For The Kiss Rodin relied on Jean Turcan, who was in charge of carving marble in his workshop. Unfortunately Turcan left the workshop before The Kiss was completed and the original copy of this piece is rough and unfinished. Rodin's method of making large sculptures was to employ assistant sculptors to copy a smaller model he himself had made from a material which was easier to work with than marble, in many instances clay. Once they had finished, Rodin himself would put the finishing touches to the larger version.

Models and sketches of the early workings of Rodin's The Kiss can still be studied today and these show the development of the sculpture from concept to completion. The Gates of Hell, for which the original, smaller version of the kiss was created, is a great example of numerous small-scale models being turned into full-size sculptures. The Gates of Hell was never cast in bronze during Rodin's lifetime and as a result of the prolonged time the artist spent working on the plaster version, many of the small models began to dry out and fall off. As this happened Rodin began to remodel these pieces and many of them turned out to be his most successful works. Both The Kiss and The Thinker are part of this elite group of sculptures. The Kiss Mood, Tone and Emotion The passion and romance of The Kiss is undeniable, the figures are so involved with each other that their faces can barely be seen. The total embraces with which they hold each other make the tragedy of their love even greater and Rodin draws on themes which all audiences can appreciate in a way which is both romantic and sensual. Although both figures are nude, Rodin's skill as an artist made sure that the way the figures were rendered was in a classical way and one which was not overtly sexual.

The Kiss Perspective As with many of Rodin's sculptures The Kiss is designed to be viewed from every angle and Rodin wanted the piece to be believable and real. The artist certainly creates this and by making a sculpture which is visually stimulating from 360 degrees the dedication and skill of Rodin is successfully demonstrated. The contrast between the smooth skin of the lovers and the rough marble of the rock they are sitting on adds further sensual elements to this piece. Auguste Rodin Page Menu Auguste Rodin, French Sculptor PLEASE VISIT OUR ART BOUTIQUE TO PURCHASE XXXXX PRINTS AUGUSTE RODIN One of the greatest and most prolific sculptors of the 19th century, Auguste Rodin {roh-dan'}, b. Nov. 12, 1840, d. Nov. 17, 1917, succeeded, often contentiously, in bringing new life and direction to a dying art. Today major collections of his work on permanent display are at the Musée Rodin (Hotel Biron, Paris), the Rodin Museum (Philadelphia), and the California Palace of the Legion of Honor (San Francisco).

The son of a minor employee of the Parisian police department, Rodin enrolled at the age of 14 in the Ecole Impériale Spéciale de Dessin et de Mathématiques, a school that trained craftsmen and decorative artists. Rodin began (1857) earning his living as a studio helper on ornamental detail for other sculptors. At the same time he found time to work at home on his own projects and to continue studies in anatomy and, with Antoine Louis Barye, in sculpture. In 1875-76, after an exhilarating trip to Italy and firsthand knowledge of the sculptures of Michelangelo, Rodin completed his first masterwork, The Vanquished, a young male nude later called The Age of Bronze. This sculpture led to the first of numerous public controversies that were to beset Rodin throughout his career. 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. His starting point was Dante's Inferno, but the many figures he created in plaster for his Gates of Hell -- including models for The Thinker (1880) and The Kiss (1886) -- came to represent the sculptor's own vision of humanity's anguished progress. During the 1880s, Rodin became one of the most successful French artists. He received many commissions for public monuments, including The Burghers of Calais (1884-95), the Monument to Victor Hugo (1889-1909), and the Monument to Balzac (1891-98). Although Rodin regarded this last work -- a dramatic portrayal of Balzac's spirit -- to be one of his greatest, the society that commissioned it rejected the piece as an unfinished and grotesque botch. This led to one of the most bitter public debates in the history of 19th-century art.

Rodin was not only a sculptor of public monuments but a tireless artist who produced numerous small and intimate sculptures. These works range from highly developed pieces such as Eternal Spring (1884) and The Kiss, two of his most popular studies of youthful passion, to fragmentary studies of limbs and heads. He was also much in demand as a portrait sculptor and produced memorable images of many of the most famous men and women of his time, ranging from Victor Hugo (1883) to George Bernard Shaw (1906) and Pope Benedict XV (1915), and of many society figures on both sides of the Atlantic. After 1900, Rodin worked mostly on a smaller scale, for example, on studies of ballet dancers (c.1910-12) and on drawings. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 brought him considerable hardship; his health and mental stability gave way rapidly before his death in 1917. John L.

Tancock Source: The Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Release #9.01, ©1997 Bibliography: Ruth Bulter, Rodin: The Shape of Genius (1993); Robert Descharmes and Jean François Chabrun, Auguste Rodin, trans. by E. Lausanne (1967); Albert E. Elsen, Rodin's Gates of Hell (1960; repr. 1985); Frederic V. Grunfeld, Rodin: A Biography (1987); William H. Hale, The World of Rodin (1969); Rainer Maria Rilke, Auguste Rodin, trans. by J. Lemont and H. Trausil (1945; repr. 1974); Denys Sutton, Triumphant Satyr (1966); John L. Tancock, The Sculpture of Auguste Rodin, rev. ed. (1976; repr. 1989).

Images: "Rodin: photo of the artist" (The Bettmann Archive), "le Penseur (The Thinker)" (Musée Rodin, Paris/Bridgeman Art Library) Copyrights Notice and Disclaimer: Images of artists' works displayed throughout this site have been obtained from numerous sources, including digital libraries at educational institutions, educational software, and Mark Harden's Artchive . 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 . [See also: DiscoverFrance.net Copyrights .] Rodin Links: The Age of Bronze (1876) First shown in Brussels and later in Paris during 1877 -- now on exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art, The Age of Bronze was one of Rodin's most significant early works. The scandal which ensued after its first exhibition established his artistic reputation. She Who Was the Helmet-Maker's Beautiful Wife This sculpture, dated circa 1889-90, is part of the permanent collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.

The title refers to a 15th-century ballad by the French poet François Villon, in which an old woman laments her lost youth and beauty. Did you know: The LaBrea tar pits, dramatized in the 1997 movie "Volcano" (Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche), are located directly behind the museum in Hancock Park. Do you know of a great Rodin site we should list here? Please submit it! Rodin Quotations: "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." (1) "Nobody does good to man with impunity." (2) "Art is contemplation. It is the pleasure of the mind which searches into nature and which there divines the spirit of which Nature herself is animated." (3) "The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation." (4) "To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature." (5) Sources of Quotations: (1-5) QuoteWorld.org . Artists' Pages: Revisit the era of the "Lost Generation" in Hemingway's Paris .

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Get more hits by affiliating with other francophile sites. Tired of the Java commercial advertising windows and banners imposed by the so-called "free" web page hosting services? At DiscoverFrance.net, you can customize your page as you wish, without any commercial requirements or programming inserted into your HTML. Our web servers and Internet connections are fast, too. For more information, please contact our sales staff! Design and layout © 1997-1999 Auguste Rodin Biography - Infos - Art Market Paris 1840 - Meudon 1917 The French sculptor, illustrator, graphic artist, and painter Franï¿½ois Auguste Renï¿½ Rodin was born on November 12, 1840 in Paris. He is considered to be the founder of Impressionist style in the art of the sculpture.

During his studies at the ï¿½cole Impï¿½riale Spï¿½ciale de Dessin et de Mathï¿½matiques (called La Petite ï¿½cole) in the years 1854 ï¿½ 1857, Rodin attended classes by Lecoq de Boisbaudran and Jean-Baptiste Belloc. After he discovered his interest in sculpting, he made three attempts to be accepted at the ï¿½cole des Beaux-Arts, but failed the entrance examination. In the following years, the artist worked for various decorators and decoration painters. When his sister Maria died in 1862, Auguste Rodin fell into a personal crisis and joined the order of the Pï¿½res du Trï¿½s-Saint Sacrament. However, the abbot soon encouraged him to devote his life to art. Starting in 1864, the artist worked for the sculptor Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824 ï¿½ 1887) and was his student.

That same year, he met his life companion Rose Beuret, who he did not marry until 1917. In 1870, Rodin followed Carrier-Belleuse to Brussels. However, the paths of the sculptors soon separated again after intense clashes. In the following period, Auguste Rodin accepted public commissions and worked as an assistant to the Belgian sculptor Antoine Joseph van Rasbourg (1831 ï¿½ 1902). During the years 1875-76, he took a trip to Italy in order to study the works of Michelangelo and Donatello. Rodin succeeded in his breakthrough as a sculptor with "The Age of Bronze" (1876). In order to study the Gothic cathedrals, he traveled through France in 1877 and published the treatise "Les Cathï¿½drales de France", which contains his studies of architectural details and observations about the Gothic style in 1914. From 1879 ï¿½ December 1882, the artist worked in the porcelain factory in Sï¿½vres.

During this time, he received the state commission for "The Gates of Hell", the portal for the Musï¿½e des Arts dï¿½cortaifs in Paris with the theme of "Danteï¿½s Inferno". Although the work on it lasted until Rodinï¿½s death, it could not be completed. The figures "The Kiss", "Ugolino", "Adam", "Eve", and "The Thinker" are seen as independent works. In 1883, Auguste Rodin met the French sculptress Camille Claudel (1864 ï¿½ 1943), who was initially his student and his mistress until 1898. In 1885, he received the commission for the bronze figure group "The Burghers of Calais" (erected in 1895). Another state commission followed in 1889 for the sculpture of Victor Hugo (unfinished) for the Pantheon and the sculpture of Claude Lorraine (erected in 1892 in Nancy).

In addition, Rodin received the commission for a monument of Honorï¿½ de Balzac (1892 ï¿½ 97) in 1891 from the Sociï¿½tï¿½ the Gens de Lettres. In 1894, the artist moved to Meudon. During the following period, he participated in many exhibitions (Prague, Dï¿½sseldorf, Paris, Vienna, Leipzig, Tokyo, New York, Lyon, etc.) and received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Glasgow (1906) and Oxford (1907). He also participated in the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 with 171 works. In the years 1905-06, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 ï¿½ 1926) worked as Auguste Rodinï¿½s private secretary and wrote a biography of the artist. In 1907, the sculptor moved into his city studio at the Hï¿½tel Biron, where he lived until his death.

Because three of his works were given as gifts to the French state (1916), it was possible to open the Musï¿½e Rodin here in 1919. Franï¿½ois Auguste Renï¿½ Rodin died on November 17, 1917 in Meudon.

Question: ‘The Kiss’ is an 1889 work by which French sculptor?
Answer: Auguste Rodin