La Ronde
probably 1883
Medium
drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.7402
Art Historical Context
**La Ronde** is a captivating drypoint print by Auguste Rodin, around 1883 and now housed in the National Gallery of's Rosenwald Collection. primarily as a master sculptor—famous for works like * Thinker* and * Gates of Hell*—Rod briefly explored printmaking during the 1880s, producing a small body of intimate etchings that reveal his extraordinary command of line and form. The title *La Ronde*, meaning "The Round Dance" in French, evokes swirling movement and communal rhythm, a motif echoing the dynamic energy of his sculptural figures. Drypoint, Rodin's chosen medium here, is an intaglio te...
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...