Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art - Essay Example This paper talks about the some of the works of Auguste Rodin in regards to their detailed compositions like texture, color, form and matrial. Auguste Rodin Auguste Rodin was a french sculptor in the modern era who did not rebel on the past. Unlike other artists who deliberately changed their ways and created masterpieces that had undertones of mockery of the previous period, Rodin remained a traditional sculptor and took a craftsman-like approach to his works. He possesed a unique ability to work on complex materials. Most of his famous sculptures, departed from the traditional themes of mythology allegory, were criticized that made him become sensitive towards his critics. Nevertheess, he continued on his style, far away from the used-to-be themantic sculpture of the predominant figures of the past, and celebrated realism and individualism. As time went by, accompanied by a series of works, his stature in the artists' social ladder increased a few notches higher and gained increase d favour from the government and the artists community. Modernism 3 The Age of Bronze One of Rodin's works that troubled the critics and enticed them to lambast him for not having a conrete theme was The Age of Bronze. Speculations were in the air that Rodin intentionally scuplted his work without a theme. But due to its realistic and lively figure, it gained the attention of the many, which aslo fueled the critics to accuse him of surmoulage. He strongly denied the accusation and defended his work. He wrote and presented photographs of his model to newspapers to show how the sculpture differed. The Age of Bronze became one of Rodin's most famous works due to the controversy it brought to the eyes of the critics. The intricacy of the details of a man's nude body, held an unconventional pose, was sculpted well-enough for it to look alive. It takes a genuinely brillant artist to be able to sculpt a bronze material and still come up with a realistic form of a nude man. Tagged with perf ect lights and shadows, they made the sculpture an intriguing work of art, which eventually led to being bought by the state. The sculpture was purchased for 2,200 francs. Rodin drew inspiration for his first full-scale sculpture from Michelangelo's Dying Slave and was shown at the Paris Salon in 1877.(Rilke & Rodin, 2004, 27) St. John the Baptist Preaching St. John the Baptist Preaching is Rodin's second full-scale work and again a nude man. Due to the charge of surmoulage for his previous work, he made his second piece bigger than a life-size statue. The statues gives an appeal that he is walking towards the audience while both feet are on the ground. The odd positions of Rodin's works became his signature. The peculiar sense of movement of Rodin's model was captured in his product. Modernism 4 Rodin's interpretation of St. John the Baptist is a man preaching while walking. Although it may appear that the stance of the man is a bit odd, since both feet are on the ground, it depict s a walk of a determined man, emotionally firmed on his preaching. Rodin later explained how he came up with the two phases of a stride in order to suggest a movement. It is evident in the sculpture that the man, St. John, is preaching to a a group and his conviction is noticed. According to studies, the form of the model was excellently sculpted with an outstanding delivery of its message. The shadows on the ribs, the details on the facial expression and the