Francois Auguste Rodin, sculptor (1840-1917): Todays TML Arts Artist Birthday Those of you that so kindly read these daily postings might have noticed that, in general, I tend to highlight lesser-known artists. Today I make an exception with Rodin, for his resistance to social pressure and his personal rejection of the academic and formulaic approach, leading him to be one of the most well known pioneers of modern sculpture. A couple of years back I read the poorly-written-and-unintentionally-amusing autobiography of Lou Tellegen, a forgotten film star of the early 20th century. In it, he tells of his time modelling for Rodin (most, notably the piece entitled Forever Spring ~ see photos at the bottom of this post, please and thank you), and gives his own particular insight to the personality of the sculptor, piquing my interest. Tellegen wrote, For social life, he had no use. Aristocracy, titles, the whole Almanach de Gotha were absurd to him. He was a man of the earth in all his habits, but his imagination and genius soared in the spheres of the infinite. He goes on to say, For finishing and polishing his work, he had little use. Envious and narrow-minded gossip had it that he merely took that pose to be different. Rodin never posed. He did not have to. The fact is that the man had the technique of his art so firmly under control, literally at his finger tips, that he could not work fast enough to satisfy his abundant inspiration. He did not have to lick, scrape or sleek his products. Even if a torso, a leg, or an arm was still marked with the crude, superficial traces of common clay when they came back from the molders process, still the pulsation of life vibrated through these rough spots with all the intensity the subject demanded. People resented his exhibiting many crude and unfinished subjects, but in a deeper sense the work of Rodin was never unfinished. The slightest touch of his magic thumb put the breath of life in to a piece of clay. (More about Rodin here: theartstory.org/artist-rodin-auguste.htm)
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:09:47 +0000
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