Iris, Messenger of the Gods

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

The origin of Iris can be traced to the enlargement of a study for the allegorical figure intended to crown the second project for the Monument to Victor Hugo (1897), in which the poet is portrayed standing, with the figure placed in a plunging position. It was then completed by a stretched right arm, a head and a pair of wings.

Deprived of its head and one of its arms to concentrate better on the basic essentials, with legs spread apart and the sex opened in front of the viewer, Iris, Messenger of the Gods recalls to a certain extent The Origin of the World by Courbet (1866, Musée d'Orsay). Auguste Rodin may have had an opportunity to see it through Edmond de Goncourt who saw the painting himself on 29 June 1889, during a period when he used to frequent Rodin, who he mentioned on several occasions in the Journal. Rodin's decision to present Iris vertically, as if suspended in space, and in an almost frontal position, has turned this figure into a strong and triumphant image of femininity, a promise of pleasure and life but also of mystery.

Each reproduction requires great expertise   and draws on the skills of the Rodin Museum's teams and craftsmen. It is from the official moulds from the museum's collections that the most accurate resin reproductions are made. They are then hand-patinated to give it the appearance of bronze, plaster or marble.

Finally, they are validated and checked by the Musée Rodin’s curators to ensure that they comply with moral rights.

Reproductions come with an explanatory note about the history of the work.

The seal and the mention “Reproduction - Musée Rodin” guarantee the quality and origin of the sculpture reproduction.