The Age of Bronze
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'''''The Age of Bronze''''' ({{langx|fr|L'âge d'airain}}) is a [[bronze statue]] by the [[French people|French]] [[sculptor]] [[Auguste Rodin]] (1840& |
'''''The Age of Bronze''''' ({{langx|fr|L'âge d'airain}}) is a [[bronze statue]] by the [[French people|French]] [[sculptor]] [[Auguste Rodin]] (1840–1917). The figure is of a life-size nude male, 72 in. (182.9cm) high. Rodin continued to produce casts of the statue for several decades after it was modeled in 1876. |
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Rodin had a Belgian soldier pose for the statue, keeping photographs which survive (in the [[Rodin Museum]]). The pose partly derives from [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[Dying Slave]]'' in the [[Louvre Museum]], which has the elbow raised above the head.{{cite news|url=https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/27895| |
The sculpture is famous for its extreme naturalism, which resulted in suspicion of casting a living person. Rodin had a Belgian soldier pose for the statue, keeping photographs which survive (in the [[Rodin Museum]]). The pose partly derives from [[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[Dying Slave]]'' in the [[Louvre Museum]], which has the elbow raised above the head.{{cite news |title=The Age of Bronze, 1876|url=https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/27895|work=Princeton Art Museum}} Rodin had studied Michelangelo's work on a trip to Italy to gain inspiration for his naturalistic sculpture.=":0">{{Cite book |last=Elsen|first=Albert E|title=Rodin Rediscovered|publisher=Washington: National Gallery of Art|year=1981|isbn=978-0894680007|page=|last2=Aldaheff|first2=Albert}}{{Reference page|page=33}} Today, there are numerous casts of the statue held in major museum across the world |
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==History== |
==History== |
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''The Age of Bronze'' was not Auguste Rodin's first life-size sculpture. Previously, he was creating a piece that was destroyed while moving studios titled ''Bacchante''. Following the destruction of ''Bacchante'', ''The Age of Bronze'' was meant to establish his reputation.{{Cite book |last=Tancock|first=John L|title=The Sculpture of Auguste Rodin: The Collection of the Rodin Museum, Philadelphia|publisher=Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art|year=1979|isbn=978-0876330180|pages=348}} At this time, Rodin's goal was to study the nude and create naturalistic sculptures.{{Cite book |last=Lampert|first=Catherine|title=Rodin: His Art and His Inspiration|publisher=Harry N Abrams|year=2006|isbn=978-1903973660|last2=Romain|first2=Antoinette|page=206}} In pursuit of this, he was drawn to Italy, where the work of Michelangelo provided him with insights regarding how to create naturalistic sculptures.{{Reference page|page=33}} |
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[[File:'Dying_Slave'_Michelangelo_JBU001.jpg|thumb|''Michelangelo, The Dying Slave 1513-1516'']] |
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| ⚫ | To achieve this specific hyper-naturalistic appearance, Rodin was unsatisfied with professional models due to their inability to convey the natural poses he wished to sculpt. To solve this problem, he employed a 22-year-old Belgian soldier, Auguste Neyt. When the sculpture was first exhibited at the 1877 [[Salon (Paris)|Salon]] in [[Paris]], France, critics were puzzled as the work lacked a title or identifying attribute and appeared so realistic, they concluded there was only one viable explanation — he had cast a living model. Suspicion persisted for several years before dying down." This suspicion benefited Rodin, though, because people were so eager to see this for themselves.{{Cite book |last=Ressouni-Demigneux|first=Karim|title=Les grands scandales de l'histoire de l'art: cinq siècles de ruptures, de censures et de chefs-d'œuvre|publisher=Beaux Arts éditions|year=2008|location=Paris|pages=126}} |
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Even after the claims were debunked, Rodin still received harsh criticism from many art magazines. The ''[[Gazette des Beaux-Arts]]'' and ''L'Art'' published statements in 1877 describing it as, "a sickly nude fellow" and having, "neither character nor beauty".{{Cite book |last=Varnedoe|first=Kirk|title=Rodin: a magnificent obsession|publisher=London : Merrell|year=2001|isbn=978-1858941431|page=149}} |
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== Analysis and interpretations == |
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''The Age of Bronze,'' being Rodin's first successful large sculpture, represents a long period of effort, training, struggle, and research. Originally, this piece was a warrior holding a spear, about to be defeated; however, he removed the spear before displaying it to the public.{{Reference page|page=34}} This change created a new sculpture that draws attention to the figure's body and emotional state, rather than the warrior aspect. The weight shifting to the right side, the relaxing of the lips, and the way the head sits upon the shoulders, lead the audience to question the nature of suffering and man's inner life.{{Reference page|page=34}} The figure's state was meant to be collapsed both morally and physically, representing a man on the verge of suicide.{{Reference page|page=34}} Rodin's work was driven by making the sculpture as perfectly naturalistic as possible, no matter how much time or labor it took.{{Reference page|page=33}} |
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This drive was a primary reason why Rodin sought out a more naturalistic model rather than a professional model. Rodin's work partially derives from Michelangelo's ''Dying Slave;'' there are many similarities between the sculptures — the most prominent being the arm positioning. It was the work of Michelangelo's that drew Rodin to Italy and provided him with insights regarding how to create naturalistic sculptures.{{Reference page|page=33}} The influence of Michelangelo's work on ''The Age of Bronze'' allows for direct comparisons. Comparing the two sculptures highlights what makes Rodin's work distinctive, as his figure is more agile, fluid, and naturalistic than Michelangelo's more rigidly defined work.{{Reference page|page=33}} The contrast of surface finishes was very dramatic for this time. |
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==Casts== |
==Casts== |
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