Study of Honoré de Balzac
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917)
1891–1892
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
52.7 × 39.4 × 32.4 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Edgar A. Hahn
Accession Number
1972.277
Tags
male
About this artwork
In 1891 Rodin was commissioned to create a monument honoring the celebrated French writer Honoré de Balzac. The figure evolved through multiple stages over a seven-year period as Rodin explored different methods of conveying the author’s genius and personality. This bust is a study for the first version, in which the full figure stands upright with legs apart, arms crossed over his corpulent belly. Rodin’s unglamorous portrayal of a national hero shocked the public accustomed to idealized figure...