Auguste Rodin Statue : The Secret (15 cm)

Main works

The Age of Bronze (1877): Plaster statue of a young soldier, wrongly accused of being a cast.
The Thinker (1880): Iconic work representing a meditative man, originally a part of The Gates of Hell.
The Burghers of Calais (1889): Sculptural monument evoking the sacrifice of the notables of Calais during the Hundred Years' War.
The Kiss (1886): Marble sculpture depicting two lovers, a symbol of passion and sensuality.
The Gates of Hell (started in 1880): Monumental portal inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy and Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil.

Artistic movements

Auguste Rodin is a major sculptor of the realistic movement, influenced by Impressionism and Symbolism. He is considered one of the founders of modern sculpture, breaking away from the academicism of his time.

Inspiration, influence

Rodin was influenced by the masters of the Italian Renaissance, especially Michelangelo, whose expressive style and technique of non finito (unfinished works) he admired. He was also inspired by the works of Donatello and the Gothic art of the cathedrals that he discovered in France.

His contemporaries

He rubs shoulders with renowned artists such as Camille Claudel (sculptor and lover), Claude Monet (impressionist painter), Paul Cézanne (post-impressionist painter), and Alphonse Legros (engraver and painter).

To keep in mind

Rodin revolutionized sculpture by prioritizing the expression of emotions and the representation of sensuality. His tumultuous relationship with Camille Claudel marked his personal and artistic life, influencing some of his most passionate works. He was able to break free from academic conventions, developing innovative techniques such as assembly and fragmentation. His fascination with Italian art and Gothic cathedrals is perceptible in his works, particularly through the use of contrast between polished and rough surfaces.

To go further

The Rodin Museum in Paris, opened in 1919, and its house-studio in Meudon preserve a large part of his works and collections, ensuring his artistic legacy.