Antonin Proust
1885
Medium
drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.7403
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Auguste Rodin's multifaceted career stands *Antonin Proust* (1885), a drypoint print that reveals the sculptor's rare foray into printmaking. Rodin, renowned for his revolutionary bronze masterpieces like *The Thinker* and *The Gates of Hell*, captured the likeness of Antonin Proust, a prominent politician, journalist, and arts patron who championed modern artists such as Édouard Manet during his tenure as Minister of Fine Arts. Created amid the vibrant cultural ferment of Third Republic France, this intimate portrait bridges Rodin's sculptural prowess with the immediacy of gra...
About the Artist
Auguste Rodin · 1840–1917
François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917) stands as the founder of modern sculpture, transforming the art form from academic tradition into expressive modernism. Born into a working-class Parisian family, Rodin faced early rejection, failing three times to gain admission to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. This setback forced him to work as a craftsman for nearly two decades, though his 1875 tr...