Rodin and eroticism

"How can I describe this flesh that captivates me so?" Auguste Rodin asked himself this very question all throughout his life and career.

In his sculptures as well as in his drawings, Rodin modeled or traced the outlines of what fascinated him: the human body. He explored endless variations of postures and stances, not so much to spark controversy but rather to apprehend the truth of desire. The shapes and forms he created testify to the sensuality and the intensity of his oeuvre. He carried to the extreme these two features in order to capture the manifestations of ecstasy, and sometimes the shadow of death. 

Rodin never refrained from tackling subjects that were traditionally deemed obscene. In doing so, the sculptor pushed the boundaries of transgression, claiming a sense of modernity that proved to be seminal for generations of artists.

Éditions du musée Rodin / Hermann Publishings