1840-1917. French sculptor, often considered
the greatest of his day. Through his work he
freed sculpture from the idealizing
conventions of the time by his realistic
treatment of the human figure, introducing a
new boldness of style and expression.
Examples are Le Penseur/The Thinker 1880, Le
Baiser/The Kiss 1886 (marble version in the
Louvre, Paris), and Les Bourgeois de
Calais/The Burghers of Calais 1885-95 (copy
in Embankment Gardens, Westminster, London).
Rodin started as a mason, began to study in
museums and in 1875 visited Italy, where he
was inspired by the work of Michelangelo. His
early statue Bronze Age 1877 was criticized
for its total naturalism and accuracy. In
1880 he began the monumental bronze Gates of
Hell for the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in
Paris (inspired by Ghiberti's bronze gates in
Florence), a project that occupied him for
many years and was unfinished at his death.
Many of the figures designed for the gate
became independent sculptures. During the
1890s he received two notable commissions,
for statues of the writers Balzac 1897 (Musee
Rodin, Paris) and Hugo. He also produced many
drawings.