Life is a process of exploring, learning and experiencing. Fill up the empty spaces and make it fullest!
2007/04/15
Rodin Museum in Paris
"Kiss" is my favourite.. you can see the passion and love among the couples.
"Thinker" is Rodin's famous work too.
But I cannot remember what is the name of the first one. It is located in the middle of the pond inside the museum.
Ugolino Ugolino and his children 1901 - 1904 bronze 133,5 x 140 x 194 cm S.1427 Photo: J. de Calan
The pendant to The Kiss is Ugolino, the original version of which was placed in the centre of the left leaf of The Gates of Hell, while a big bronze model stands in the middle of an ornamental pool in the Museum garden. After being made a prisoner during the 13th century wars between Italian cities, and convicted of treason, Ugolino della Gherardesca was imprisoned in February 1289 in the Tower of Hunger in Pisa, together with his two sons and two grandsons. The keys to the tower were thrown into the river so that they would starve to death. Ugolino, the last survivor, was condemned to Hell after watching his children die and eating their flesh. To illustrate this subject, Rodin had a famous predecessor in the person of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux who chose this theme for the last sculpture he sent from Rome. Inspired by the Laocoon in the Vatican Museum, he had represented Ugolino seated, biting his hands, his feet flexed one over the other, while his dying children dragged themselves behind him (1860, bronze, Musée d'Orsay, Paris). Rodin had a cast of the study for the group by Carpeaux in his personal collection. The third maquette for The Gates of Hell shows a seated Ugolino, but Rodin then decided to follow the text by Dante more closely, "Thus, I saw them all (...) falling one by one (...) so much so that not seeing them any more, I threw myself, screaming and crawling, over their lifeless bodies, calling them two days after they died, and calling them again, until hunger extinguished in me what pain had left." The group was exhibited with The Kiss in Brussels in 1877 but did not receive anything like the success of the latter. Yet this work was dear to the heart of the artist who included parts of it in other groups on several occasions. He was so pleased with the enlarged head of one of the children (which he also used for Paolo in the group for The Gate), that it became the head for Sorrow and was made in bronze and in marble. As for the group itself, Rodin had it enlarged by Henri Lebossé between 1901 and 1904. The big plaster, deposited by the Rodin Museum at the Musée d'Orsay in 1986, shows some distinctive variations from the small model. As the enlargement was carried out in fragments and assembled in the studio of Rodin under his supervision, he was able to make some major changes. The big bronze model, on the other hand, is faithful to the version on The Gate.
The Kiss 1888 - 1889 marble 181,5 x 112,3 x 117 cm S.1002 Photo : E. & P. Hesmerg
While visiting the second circle in Hell, Virgil and Dante saw, among those who had committed sins of the flesh, Paolo and Francesca, two personages who had really lived in the Middle Ages in Italy. Around 1275, Francesca, the daughter of Guido da Polenta, married Gianciotto Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, who entrusted her in the care of his brother, the handsome young Paolo. Paolo and Francesca fell in love with each other while reading romances of courtly love. As soon as they exchanged their first kiss, Gianciotto caught them by surprise and stabbed them. "Love has led us to a unique death" Dante makes their shades say. This forbidden love and its consequent eternal damnation, was a favourite theme among 19th century artists, from Ingres to Delacroix, and from Ary Scheffer to Cabanel and Henri Martin.
Huysmans: Oscar Wilde had it right: life imitates art. I wondered... if beauty really has to be realised in tragedy.
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Ugolino Ugolino and his children
1901 - 1904
bronze
133,5 x 140 x 194 cm
S.1427
Photo: J. de Calan
The pendant to The Kiss is Ugolino, the original version of which was placed in the centre of the left leaf of The Gates of Hell, while a big bronze model stands in the middle of an ornamental pool in the Museum garden. After being made a prisoner during the 13th century wars between Italian cities, and convicted of treason, Ugolino della Gherardesca was imprisoned in February 1289 in the Tower of Hunger in Pisa, together with his two sons and two grandsons. The keys to the tower were thrown into the river so that they would starve to death. Ugolino, the last survivor, was condemned to Hell after watching his children die and eating their flesh.
To illustrate this subject, Rodin had a famous predecessor in the person of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux who chose this theme for the last sculpture he sent from Rome. Inspired by the Laocoon in the Vatican Museum, he had represented Ugolino seated, biting his hands, his feet flexed one over the other, while his dying children dragged themselves behind him (1860, bronze, Musée d'Orsay, Paris). Rodin had a cast of the study for the group by Carpeaux in his personal collection. The third maquette for The Gates of Hell shows a seated Ugolino, but Rodin then decided to follow the text by Dante more closely, "Thus, I saw them all (...) falling one by one (...) so much so that not seeing them any more, I threw myself, screaming and crawling, over their lifeless bodies, calling them two days after they died, and calling them again, until hunger extinguished in me what pain had left."
The group was exhibited with The Kiss in Brussels in 1877 but did not receive anything like the success of the latter. Yet this work was dear to the heart of the artist who included parts of it in other groups on several occasions. He was so pleased with the enlarged head of one of the children (which he also used for Paolo in the group for The Gate), that it became the head for Sorrow and was made in bronze and in marble. As for the group itself, Rodin had it enlarged by Henri Lebossé between 1901 and 1904. The big plaster, deposited by the Rodin Museum at the Musée d'Orsay in 1986, shows some distinctive variations from the small model. As the enlargement was carried out in fragments and assembled in the studio of Rodin under his supervision, he was able to make some major changes. The big bronze model, on the other hand, is faithful to the version on The Gate.
http://www.musee-rodin.fr/welcome.htm
A lovely link you will fall in love with.
The Kiss 1888 - 1889
marble
181,5 x 112,3 x 117 cm
S.1002
Photo : E. & P. Hesmerg
While visiting the second circle in Hell, Virgil and Dante saw, among those who had committed sins of the flesh, Paolo and Francesca, two personages who had really lived in the Middle Ages in Italy. Around 1275, Francesca, the daughter of Guido da Polenta, married Gianciotto Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, who entrusted her in the care of his brother, the handsome young Paolo. Paolo and Francesca fell in love with each other while reading romances of courtly love. As soon as they exchanged their first kiss, Gianciotto caught them by surprise and stabbed them. "Love has led us to a unique death" Dante makes their shades say. This forbidden love and its consequent eternal damnation, was a favourite theme among 19th century artists, from Ingres to Delacroix, and from Ary Scheffer to Cabanel and Henri Martin.
Huysmans: Oscar Wilde had it right: life imitates art. I wondered... if beauty really has to be realised in tragedy.
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