The Kiss
Auguste Rodinc. 1882-87 (model)
The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
This work recalls the tragic love of Paolo and Francesca in Dante's Divine Comedy. Its silhouette can be found in the study plaster for The Gates of Hell. The Kiss as an independent sculpture from The Gates, however, represents the universal love, apart from the story of Paolo and Francesca. This couple did not burn in the hell fires of carnal love. Instead Rodin used them to symbolize the triumph of pure passionate love. Rodin commented "Love is the Flower of Life" as he posed a young couple in this pose in his studio to capture a realistic effect. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 136)
- Title: The Kiss
- Creator Lifespan: 1840 - 1917
- Creator Nationality: French
- Creator Gender: Male
- Creator Death Place: Meudon
- Creator Birth Place: Paris
- Date Created: c. 1882-87 (model)
- Location Created: France
- Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings: Signed upper back of base: A. Rodin; Foundry mark lower right back of base: Alexis RUDIER / Fondeur. Paris
- Sculptor: Auguste Rodin
- Provenance: Kojiro Matsukata; Sequestered by the French Government, 1944; Returned to Japan, 1959.
- Physical Dimensions: w510 x h870 x d550 mm
- Object title (Japanese): 接吻
- Object notes (Japanese): ダンテの『神曲』のパオロとフランチェスカの悲恋に想を得たこの作品は、初め《愛の誓い》、あるいは《パオロとフランチェスカ》とよばれ、そのシルエットは地獄の門の習作であるテラコッタの中に認められる。けれどもこの男女は官能の業火にさいなまれるのではなく、ロダンは、むしろ清純で熱烈な愛の勝利を謳っている。「恋愛こそ生命の花である」と言っているロダンは、アトリエで若い男女にこの通りのポーズをさせて真実の姿を追求した。（出典: 国立西洋美術館名作選. 東京, 国立西洋美術館, 2006. cat. no. 136）
- Artist Name (Japanese): ロダン、オーギュスト
- Type: Sculptures
- Rights: Matsukata Collection, http://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/information/privacy.html
- External Link: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
- Medium: Bronze
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