Virginia Museum of Fine Arts exhibit honors Auguste Rodin

PanARMENIAN.Net - An exhibition honoring the creative genius of master sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) is on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from November 21, 2015 to March 13, 2016, Art Daily reports.

Drawn primarily from collections of the Musée Rodin, Paris, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the exhibition brings together more than 200 objects – fragile plasters, patinated bronzes, marbles, ceramics and works on paper – and examines the artist’s creative process. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about Rodin’s techniques, materials, models, and assistants, and to explore the artistic vision behind some of his best known works – including The Kiss, The Thinker, and The Burghers of Calais. The presenting sponsor for the exhibition is Altria Group.

“Rodin completely revitalized the very language of sculpture with his passion for the creative act,” Director Alex Nyerges said. “His work has captivated human imagination for more than a century, and is still relevant and contemporary today. We are honored that VMFA is the premiere East Coast venue for this fantastic exhibition.”

During the 19th century, Rodin became one of the most successful French artists and received many commissions for public monuments. In addition to creating enduring public works, he was a tireless artist who produced numerous small and poetic sculptures, as well as portrait busts. Garnering international acclaim for more than a century, he is widely regarded as the pioneer of modern sculpture and its most skilled exponent of symbolism.

Rodin: Evolution of a Genius is organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée Rodin, Paris. It is organized for VMFA by Dr. Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator and Head of the Department of European Art. The exhibition catalogue, with contributions on Rodin’s process by leading scholars, is published by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibition is organized into eight sections: The Hand of the Master, The Art of Assemblage, Rodin and his Models, Sculpture in Space: Enlargements, Fragments, Pedestals, Timeline: Rodin’s Life and Career, Rodin and his Collaborators: the Marbles, and Bronze: Rodin’s Legacy, the Studio-Museum.