Springtime
c. 1878
Medium
Drypoint on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 14.8 × 10.1 cm (5 7/8 × 4 in.); Plate: 14.8 × 10.1 cm (5 7/8 × 4 in.); Sheet: 27.8 × 20.1 cm (11 × 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
drypoint
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111368
Art Historical Context
Auguste Rodin’s *Springtime* (c. 1878) offers a rare glimpse into the celebrated sculptor’s work on paper. Best known for monumental bronzes that revolutionized modern sculpture, Rodin here explores the intimate medium of drypoint, scratching directly into a copper plate to produce soft, velvety lines characteristic of the technique. Printed on delicate ivory laid paper, the small-scale image captures the freshness and vitality suggested by its title, reflecting the artist’s lifelong fascination with the human form and natural cycles of renewal. Created during Rodin’s formative years in Paris...
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...