“The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin
-Rodin cast the sculpture multiple times throughout his life. This particular version is from 1880. This particular iteration is cast from bronze, though some are made from plaster, and most include a stone base rather than being free-standing.
-Rodin was a French sculptor whose departure from many of the traditional conventions of sculpting made him a controversial figure in his time (though still accepted and celebrated by a large audience). He has become known as one of the most influential figures in the formation of the modern style of sculpture
-Though it is less abstract than many of Rodin’s pieces (see “Monument to Balzac” for an example, “The Thinker” still represents a departure from the mainstream style of sculpture of its era. It does not idealize the body like Classical Greek or Baroque style, and its subject is the poet Dante rather than an anonymous, mythical, or religious figure. Additionally, the sculpture is highly symbolic, thought to represent in a more general sense the power and intensity of philosophy and thought. The thinker’s body is exaggeratedly muscular, representative of his equally powerful mind, and his tense, hunched form can be seen as representative of his straining mind.
“The Dorphoros” by Unknown
-Sculpted between approximately 120 and 50 BC by an unknown author; thought to be one of many later copies of the lost legendary piece by the Greek sculptor Polykleitos. “The Doryphoros” was known in its time as one of the greatest examples of the aesthetic of Greek sculpture
-Polykleitos was one of the greatest Greek sculptors of the Classical era. However, none of his original works survived into the modern era, and so he is known only through later Roman copies of his works. It should be noted that though these copies are generally marble, Polykleitos worked mostly in bronze. Polykleitos also authored a treatise (called Kanon) that outlined his approach to sculpture and outlined a mathematical basis for achieving aesthetic sculptural perfection.
-“The Dorphoros” exhibits the meticulous realism of Classical Greek sculpture. The Greek writer Galen wrote that this sculpture is the work most representative of the ideal presented in Kanon. Particularly, its “commensurability of the parts” (i.e. the proportionality of its various parts of the body) matched that outlined in Kanon. The statue also exhibits the contrapposto, the dynamic, relaxed uneven stance that twists the pelvis and torso. The contrapposto is one of the great innovations of Greek sculpture, allowing departure from the rigid stances used in previous eras.
“Dying Gaul” by Unknown
-As with “The Doryphoros,” this sculpture is a copy of an earlier Greek work. The Roman was created between AD 100 and 190, while the Greek is thought to be from the late 3rd century BC. However, neither the original nor the later artist is known.
-The original piece was thought to have been cast in bronze, and was possibly commemorative of a Greek military victory over a Celtic people hailing from modern Turkey. The figure is identified as a Gaul by his distinctive torc (necklace) and locks of hair.
-This sculpture is highly representative of the Hellenistic period of Greek art, the period immediately following the Classical. It retained the hyper-realism of the previous period, but generally focused on flawed, suffering bodies rather than idealized figures. The subject is muscular but not overly defined, and inspects a wound in his leg. His pose is also representative of the Hellenistic period, which largely eschewed the contrapposto in favor of more dynamic motion
“The Rape of a Sabine Woman” by Giovanni de Bologna (Giambologna)
-Sculpted from bronze between 1579 and 1583 AD in Florence, Italy. This figure is a reproduction of the original monumental marble sculpture.
-Giambologna was born in Flanders in 1529, moving to Italy to study ancient sculpture in 1550. He became a renowned court artist in the employ of the aristocratic Medici family of Florence. His sculpture is known for exhibiting movement and action, as well as the smooth, light surface finish he applied to his works.
-This sculpture depicts the legendary Rape of the Sabines, an account of the first generation of Romans abducting Sabine women and carrying them off to be their wives. It combines many features of ancient sculpture (realism, detail, nude forms) with the Mannersitic sensibilities of Renaissance art. Manneristic works exhibit deep emotion and dynamic movement, both of which can be found in this sculpture. The choice of bronze as a medium, especially with its glossy finish, further intertwines the bodies, emphasizing their motion and blurring the lines between where each body begins and ends.
“Julio Romero De Torres’ Portrait In Sculpture” by Mariono Benlliure Y Gil
-Sculpted in 1931; an homage by the author to his friend, noted painter Julio Romero De Torres
-Neither Y Gil nor De Torres are eminent artists, and so relatively little is known of their lives and legacies. De Torres lived in Cordoba Spain (born 1874, died 1930) where he was an artist who primarily painted portraits.
-The sculpture includes more of De Torres’ torso than a traditional bust, but the majority of the work’s detail is focused on the subject’s head. The torso’s inclusion was perhaps made in an effort to resemble a “portrait” rather than a simple bust. De Torres’ head is tilted slightly downward, his eyes not facing directly ahead (such that he would likely not meet the gaze of a viewer). This choice gives the sculpture an introspective, reserved look; something, perhaps, meant to be primarily a personal homage to a friend rather than a public release.
