A new exhibit at the Rodin Museum considers the sculptor’s interest in his own artistic instrument.
Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais (1921) is on exhibit through Jan. 5.
Auguste Rodin once wrote that every part of the human figure is expressive. Known for innovative practices that paved the way for modern sculpture, the French artist’s exacting approach to anatomy is reflected in defining works such as The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell. But Rodin also had a fanatical interest in sculpting hands. Rodin’s Hands, a new exhibit at the Rodin Museum (rodinmuseum.org) running through Jan. 5, explores the artist’s fascination with the appendage through 15 bronzes and plasters, many of them rare or unique to the Philadelphia collection. One such work is Two Hands, a bronze sculpture of clasping hands that is thought to be modeled after Rodin and his partner, Rose Beuret. The Hand of God is Rodin’s abstract interpretation of creation, with a palm extending from earth that holds a rock containing male and female figures. Other works include The Burghers of Calais and The Cathedral.
Photography by: COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART
