Auguste RODIN (1840-1917)
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
Chronology : 1890 1894 1897-1898 1897 1902 1903 1906 1917 1925 1928
Chronology : 1890 1894 1897-1898 1897 1902 1903 1906 1917 1925 1928
Intro
The Gates of Hell began with a public order made to Rodin by the French state in 1880 for a planned Musée des arts décoratifs. Paris was slowly recovering from the fires of 1871 and was nervous to return to its glory. The idea was to follow the Divine Comedy by Dante to create a modern work of equal prominence as the gate of Paradise by Ghiberti.
The project of museum was cancelled in 1889 but Rodin will never stop constructing that monumental work 6.35 high and 4 m wide populated by 180 figures.
The artist worked immediately to the figure of the gatekeeper, a thin and ascetic seated poet in a straight gown who will monitor the upper register and rule the whole.
Le Penseur (the Thinker) soon superseded the original Dante. This 71 cm high figure is a naked allegory of the poetical mind and of the power of humans. This energetic man with colossal muscles is paradoxically in a rest position on a rock.
By 1884, Rodin had detached the figure from La Porte and cast it in bronze as an autonomous sculpture.
Rodin gave a new start to the art of sculpture. The other elements of the gates will be more anecdotal but with a similar emotional power.
The project of museum was cancelled in 1889 but Rodin will never stop constructing that monumental work 6.35 high and 4 m wide populated by 180 figures.
The artist worked immediately to the figure of the gatekeeper, a thin and ascetic seated poet in a straight gown who will monitor the upper register and rule the whole.
Le Penseur (the Thinker) soon superseded the original Dante. This 71 cm high figure is a naked allegory of the poetical mind and of the power of humans. This energetic man with colossal muscles is paradoxically in a rest position on a rock.
By 1884, Rodin had detached the figure from La Porte and cast it in bronze as an autonomous sculpture.
Rodin gave a new start to the art of sculpture. The other elements of the gates will be more anecdotal but with a similar emotional power.
Auguste Rodin: A Psychological Portrait Through Life and Art
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), widely regarded as the father of modern sculpture, was a complex figure whose work and personal life reveal a deep engagement with human emotion, inner turmoil, and psychological depth. His sculptures broke from academic idealism, emphasizing raw realism, movement, and the expression of internal states—qualities that mirror aspects of his own personality and experiences.
Key Aspects of Rodin's Life and Personality
Rodin grew up in a working-class Parisian family, facing early setbacks: he failed the entrance exam to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts three times, leading to feelings of rejection that fueled his lifelong nonconformism. Largely self-educated, he developed a resilient, obsessive work ethic, often laboring on projects like The Gates of Hell for decades without completion. Biographers describe him as intensely sensual, with "unbridled sensuality" evident in numerous liaisons despite a 53-year relationship with Rose Beuret, whom he married only in 1917 shortly before her death.
His personality blended introspection and passion. Rodin was deeply influenced by Michelangelo, seeking to capture not just the body but the "inner life"—thoughts, feelings, and vicissitudes. He valued serenity amid life's struggles, stating he strove for a "calm, more just" outlook on nature. Yet his life was marked by emotional turbulence: a tumultuous affair with pupil and lover Camille Claudel (who later suffered severe mental illness, including paranoia), family misfortunes (an unrecognized son with possible developmental delays), and professional scandals. Rodin displayed humanitarian traits—compassionate, idealistic, and drawn to intellectual circles—but also isolation in later years, living reclusively in Meudon.
Psychologically, Rodin exhibited traits of perseverance bordering on obsession, channeling personal anguish into art. No records indicate clinical depression or severe mental illness in Rodin himself, unlike Claudel; instead, his drive suggests a sublimation of inner conflicts into creative output.
Psychological Depth in Rodin's Art
Rodin's sculptures revolutionized the medium by prioritizing psychological realism over polished perfection. He used rough, unfinished surfaces to convey agitation, transience, and inner emotion—techniques that evoke the human psyche's complexity. Influenced by Dante's Inferno and Baudelaire's erotic, satanic themes, his work explores desire, suffering, contemplation, and sacrifice.
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), widely regarded as the father of modern sculpture, was a complex figure whose work and personal life reveal a deep engagement with human emotion, inner turmoil, and psychological depth. His sculptures broke from academic idealism, emphasizing raw realism, movement, and the expression of internal states—qualities that mirror aspects of his own personality and experiences.
Key Aspects of Rodin's Life and Personality
Rodin grew up in a working-class Parisian family, facing early setbacks: he failed the entrance exam to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts three times, leading to feelings of rejection that fueled his lifelong nonconformism. Largely self-educated, he developed a resilient, obsessive work ethic, often laboring on projects like The Gates of Hell for decades without completion. Biographers describe him as intensely sensual, with "unbridled sensuality" evident in numerous liaisons despite a 53-year relationship with Rose Beuret, whom he married only in 1917 shortly before her death.
His personality blended introspection and passion. Rodin was deeply influenced by Michelangelo, seeking to capture not just the body but the "inner life"—thoughts, feelings, and vicissitudes. He valued serenity amid life's struggles, stating he strove for a "calm, more just" outlook on nature. Yet his life was marked by emotional turbulence: a tumultuous affair with pupil and lover Camille Claudel (who later suffered severe mental illness, including paranoia), family misfortunes (an unrecognized son with possible developmental delays), and professional scandals. Rodin displayed humanitarian traits—compassionate, idealistic, and drawn to intellectual circles—but also isolation in later years, living reclusively in Meudon.
Psychologically, Rodin exhibited traits of perseverance bordering on obsession, channeling personal anguish into art. No records indicate clinical depression or severe mental illness in Rodin himself, unlike Claudel; instead, his drive suggests a sublimation of inner conflicts into creative output.
Psychological Depth in Rodin's Art
Rodin's sculptures revolutionized the medium by prioritizing psychological realism over polished perfection. He used rough, unfinished surfaces to convey agitation, transience, and inner emotion—techniques that evoke the human psyche's complexity. Influenced by Dante's Inferno and Baudelaire's erotic, satanic themes, his work explores desire, suffering, contemplation, and sacrifice.
- The Thinker (originally part of The Gates of Hell): Depicts profound introspection, with tension in every muscle symbolizing thought as a full-bodied struggle. It represents intellectual and existential contemplation, embodying Rodin's belief that the body reveals the mind.
- The Kiss: Captures ecstatic passion and tenderness, drawn from Dante's damned lovers yet standalone in its joy. It reflects Rodin's sensual nature and fascination with eroticism as a vital force.
- The Gates of Hell: A monumental, never-finished portal teeming with tormented figures, inspired by Dante. It explores damnation, desire, and human frailty, mirroring Rodin's obsessive revisiting of themes and his view of life as turbulent.
1890 Le Baiser
2018 SOLD for £ 12.6M by Christie's
In the Christian morals, adultery is directly leading to the lust section of Hell. Dante had retained the period story of Francesca and her brother in law Paolo, who fell one another in love by sudden pulsion while reading together the book of Lancelot and Guinevere from the Knights of the Round Table. They were killed by Francesca's husband.
Their scheduled position in Rodin's Porte was in the lower left. The original title was Francesca. Both lovers are in full nudity. The artist catches the charming moment when Francesca rushes on Paolo for the first impassioned embrace and kiss. Paolo lets slip the book.
The work was so appealing that Francesca's romance was superseded by the allegory of everlasting love. It was renamed Le Baiser (the Kiss) in 1887. Life size marbles were prepared after 1888. This stand alone sculpture was superseded by Rodin from the Gate with a less blissful pair shortly before his death in 1917.
In 1887, Rodin prepared two plasters for editing bronzes in the taille de la Porte, 87 cm high. The first of them was entrusted to François Rudier and the other to Griffoul et Lorge. In the latter version Paolo's hand is hovering 2 cm over Francesca's thigh after a shrinkage during the drying of the clay mold. Rodin accepted that modification which brought still more emotion.
Griffoul et Lorge executed five bronzes. The première épreuve, cast with a brown patina and dedicated in 1890 to the doctor who was caring Rodin's wife, was sold for £ 12.6M from a lower estimate of £ 5M by Christie's on June 20, 2018, lot 21B. An undated bronze from the same plaster with a similar patina was sold for $ 6.3M by Christie's on November 3, 2009, lot 5. Both examples have the lifted hand.
Their scheduled position in Rodin's Porte was in the lower left. The original title was Francesca. Both lovers are in full nudity. The artist catches the charming moment when Francesca rushes on Paolo for the first impassioned embrace and kiss. Paolo lets slip the book.
The work was so appealing that Francesca's romance was superseded by the allegory of everlasting love. It was renamed Le Baiser (the Kiss) in 1887. Life size marbles were prepared after 1888. This stand alone sculpture was superseded by Rodin from the Gate with a less blissful pair shortly before his death in 1917.
In 1887, Rodin prepared two plasters for editing bronzes in the taille de la Porte, 87 cm high. The first of them was entrusted to François Rudier and the other to Griffoul et Lorge. In the latter version Paolo's hand is hovering 2 cm over Francesca's thigh after a shrinkage during the drying of the clay mold. Rodin accepted that modification which brought still more emotion.
Griffoul et Lorge executed five bronzes. The première épreuve, cast with a brown patina and dedicated in 1890 to the doctor who was caring Rodin's wife, was sold for £ 12.6M from a lower estimate of £ 5M by Christie's on June 20, 2018, lot 21B. An undated bronze from the same plaster with a similar patina was sold for $ 6.3M by Christie's on November 3, 2009, lot 5. Both examples have the lifted hand.
1894 Fallen Caryatid
2019 SOLD for $ 7.6M by Sotheby's
The Fallen Caryatid crushed under her stone was a great subject for representing a tormented woman in Hell. She is seated with arms entwined and head cradled on a shoulder. The whole is symbolizing a moral pressure.
Her place in Rodin's Porte de l'Enfer is in the upper left.
A Caryatid carved in stone exhibited in 1883 was the very first element from the Gate to have been prepared as an autonomous work. This sculpture is lost.
On request from a collector, a 63 cm high one-third increased replica was executed by Rodin in limestone in 1894. The artist managed a spectacular contrast between the finely carved fallen architecture and the poorly detailed finish of the suffering woman. It was sold for $ 7.6M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2019, lot 7.
Her place in Rodin's Porte de l'Enfer is in the upper left.
A Caryatid carved in stone exhibited in 1883 was the very first element from the Gate to have been prepared as an autonomous work. This sculpture is lost.
On request from a collector, a 63 cm high one-third increased replica was executed by Rodin in limestone in 1894. The artist managed a spectacular contrast between the finely carved fallen architecture and the poorly detailed finish of the suffering woman. It was sold for $ 7.6M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2019, lot 7.
1897 Eve
2008 SOLD for $ 19M by Christie's
In 1880, when Rodin received the commission for the Porte de l'Enfer, he was already working on his Creation of Man which he exhibited at the 1881 Salon. This Adam after sin expresses supreme repentance, standing with his head down and dangling arms. Expecting a complement to the order, he proposes to adjoin the Gate with Adam and Eve in life size.
He is preparing his Eve au Rocher with a small plaster model. The modest position of the arms voluntarily annihilates the eroticism of nudity, which suits academic and religious traditions. The shape of the body carefully takes into account the anatomy of the muscles under the skin.
Rodin does not get the additional order. He drives out the primordial couple from his Hell and abandons his Eve. He takes up this theme in the mid-1890s for a life-size sculpture, with the same attitude and another woman. He wants perfection and does not understand why he has to rework the lines of the body with each new session. He did not know that his role model for the sinful woman had started a pregnancy.
On May 6, 2008, Christie's sold an Eve in the version without the rock for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 9M, lot 15. This bronze 1.73 m high with brown patina was cast by François Rudier in 1897 with the inscription Première Epreuve.
In the following year the Balzac is refused by the Société des Gens de Lettres. The collector Auguste Pellerin wants to help Rodin and offers to buy the object of the scandal. Rodin prefers to wait. He keeps his Balzac and sells his Eve Première Epreuve to Pellerin.
He is preparing his Eve au Rocher with a small plaster model. The modest position of the arms voluntarily annihilates the eroticism of nudity, which suits academic and religious traditions. The shape of the body carefully takes into account the anatomy of the muscles under the skin.
Rodin does not get the additional order. He drives out the primordial couple from his Hell and abandons his Eve. He takes up this theme in the mid-1890s for a life-size sculpture, with the same attitude and another woman. He wants perfection and does not understand why he has to rework the lines of the body with each new session. He did not know that his role model for the sinful woman had started a pregnancy.
On May 6, 2008, Christie's sold an Eve in the version without the rock for $ 19M from a lower estimate of $ 9M, lot 15. This bronze 1.73 m high with brown patina was cast by François Rudier in 1897 with the inscription Première Epreuve.
In the following year the Balzac is refused by the Société des Gens de Lettres. The collector Auguste Pellerin wants to help Rodin and offers to buy the object of the scandal. Rodin prefers to wait. He keeps his Balzac and sells his Eve Première Epreuve to Pellerin.
1902-1905 Iris
2016 SOLD for £ 11.6M by Sotheby's
In Greek mythology, Iris is the messenger of the gods. Her mission is to only forward good news. She is also the sister of the Harpies and logically gets a place in the proposed Porte de l'Enfer (Gate of Hell) by Rodin.
In an early version, she is lying on her back. She is a robust acrobat, a hand holding a foot and another ensuring the balance of her splits. Totally and explicitly nude, this woman is often compared with The Origin of the World of Courbet with whom Rodin shares an irrepressible desire to shock the bourgeois.
In 1891, Rodin works on commission on his monument to Victor Hugo. He designs a group of nudes in which the poet is originally surrounded by the three ages of life. It is a bit boring. The sculptor retrieves his Iris for bringing glory to Hugo by hovering over his head.
Iris becomes independent in 1896 with a larger version. Inspired by the dancers of can can and chahut, Rodin puts the statue upright. The erotic power is increased, but still not enough to the taste of the artist. In order to concentrate the viewer's attention to the open sex, he takes off the head and also the arm that ensured the balance.
Iris bronzes made during the lifetime of Rodin are very rare. One of them cast by Rudier between 1902 and 1905 in the large size model, 83 cm high, was sold by Sotheby's for £ 4.6M on June 19, 2007 and for £ 11.6M on February 3, 2016, lot 22.
Posthumous casts were also executed. A bronze edited in 1966 in the same size by the Musée Rodin was sold for $ 2.9M by Sotheby's on May 5, 2015.
In an early version, she is lying on her back. She is a robust acrobat, a hand holding a foot and another ensuring the balance of her splits. Totally and explicitly nude, this woman is often compared with The Origin of the World of Courbet with whom Rodin shares an irrepressible desire to shock the bourgeois.
In 1891, Rodin works on commission on his monument to Victor Hugo. He designs a group of nudes in which the poet is originally surrounded by the three ages of life. It is a bit boring. The sculptor retrieves his Iris for bringing glory to Hugo by hovering over his head.
Iris becomes independent in 1896 with a larger version. Inspired by the dancers of can can and chahut, Rodin puts the statue upright. The erotic power is increased, but still not enough to the taste of the artist. In order to concentrate the viewer's attention to the open sex, he takes off the head and also the arm that ensured the balance.
Iris bronzes made during the lifetime of Rodin are very rare. One of them cast by Rudier between 1902 and 1905 in the large size model, 83 cm high, was sold by Sotheby's for £ 4.6M on June 19, 2007 and for £ 11.6M on February 3, 2016, lot 22.
Posthumous casts were also executed. A bronze edited in 1966 in the same size by the Musée Rodin was sold for $ 2.9M by Sotheby's on May 5, 2015.
1903 L'Eternel Printemps
2016 SOLD for $ 20.4M by Sotheby's
Auguste Rodin likes the vigorous bodies which he reproduces in high realism by kneading the earth. The Torso of Adèle, realized before 1880, displays the muscular curvature of a naked young woman. When he meets Camille Claudel, he expresses his new passion by providing a young man to his Adèle now complemented with her limbs and a head.
This first version of L'Eternel Printemps (The Eternal Spring) is carved in the mid 1880s. With the excuse of the reference to Dante in the Gates of Hell and the desire for a total art inspired by Beethoven, Rodin injects in this nude couple an intense erotic surge. The kneeling woman is embraced by the powerful young man. Mouths are joined in a kiss. The title positions the mad love outside the time of our civilizations while evoking the season of sap rising.
Rodin has marbles carved in single blocks by his workshop in response to customer orders. The first marble of The Eternal Spring is started in 1896. The group is now built against a rock which ensures the robustness of the outstretched arm.
The fifth marble of The Eternal Spring is commissioned in 1901 by a friend of Rainer Maria Rilke and completed in 1903, the year when the poet wrote an essay on Rodin. This sculpture 66 cm high and 80 cm long is weighing 154 Kg. It was sold for $ 20.4M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on May 9, 2016, lot 17. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This first version of L'Eternel Printemps (The Eternal Spring) is carved in the mid 1880s. With the excuse of the reference to Dante in the Gates of Hell and the desire for a total art inspired by Beethoven, Rodin injects in this nude couple an intense erotic surge. The kneeling woman is embraced by the powerful young man. Mouths are joined in a kiss. The title positions the mad love outside the time of our civilizations while evoking the season of sap rising.
Rodin has marbles carved in single blocks by his workshop in response to customer orders. The first marble of The Eternal Spring is started in 1896. The group is now built against a rock which ensures the robustness of the outstretched arm.
The fifth marble of The Eternal Spring is commissioned in 1901 by a friend of Rainer Maria Rilke and completed in 1903, the year when the poet wrote an essay on Rodin. This sculpture 66 cm high and 80 cm long is weighing 154 Kg. It was sold for $ 20.4M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on May 9, 2016, lot 17. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Rodin's Eternal Springtime - on offer this May in #SothebysImpMod https://t.co/fJInnZfclH #ImagineTheConversation pic.twitter.com/1GQxqHF8Ah
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) April 20, 2016
Le Penseur, moyen modèle by Alexis Rudier fondeur
The central figure of the Porte de l'Enfer commissioned to Rodin in 1880, Le Penseur is the representation of introspection embedded in a colossal male human body at rest in the nude.
The 71 cm high prototype is made in clay in 1882. The highly popular monumental version 1.85 m high is revealed in 1904. Small versions are also prepared.
The bronzes from the original size are identified as 'taille de la Porte' or 'Moyen modèle'. They were cast from 1884 to 1969 by the foundries Griffoul, François Rudier, Alexis Rudier and Georges Rudier. The Alexis Rudier foundry created about 30 examples of Le Penseur in that size, on request from customers or dealers.
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) did not cast his own bronzes but collaborated closely with specialized Parisian foundries, most notably Alexis Rudier (from around 1902 onward as his primary caster). He oversaw the process attentively, particularly the final chasing and patina, while relying on the foundries' expertise for technical execution.
Rodin worked primarily in clay (sometimes wax or plaster), with assistants producing plaster models or patterns for casting. He authorized multiples, viewing the bronze as a faithful yet interpretable realization of his vision.
Primary Technique: Sand Casting (Pièce au Sable) at Rudier
Alexis Rudier specialized in sand casting, the dominant method for large-scale and durable sculptures in 19th–early 20th-century France. This differed from the lost-wax (cire perdue) process favored by some contemporaries and later used more by Susse for Giacometti.
Key Steps:
Rodin experimented with lost-wax (e.g., early works with Gonon or Bingen foundries) but often returned to sand casting due to disappointments with results. Some sources note he “preferred” lost-wax for its detail fidelity, but Rudier’s sand expertise dominated his mature output.
Basic Lost-Wax Steps (when used):
Patina was crucial—Rodin collaborated with specialists like Jean Limet (father and son) for chemical application:
Rudier casts show remarkably consistent low-zinc alloys, aiding identification via XRF analysis. This reflects sand-casting preferences (higher zinc more common in lost-wax for fluidity). Posthumous casts (after 1917, under Musée Rodin) continued at Rudier and successors like Georges Rudier, maintaining high standards.
Rodin’s process exemplified 19th–20th-century French foundry craftsmanship: a collaborative chain from studio modeling to foundry execution, with the artist’s final approval ensuring artistic integrity. His bronzes remain benchmarks for technical excellence and expressive power. For specific works, foundry marks (“Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris”), alloy analysis, and Musée Rodin documentation provide key authentication details.
The 71 cm high prototype is made in clay in 1882. The highly popular monumental version 1.85 m high is revealed in 1904. Small versions are also prepared.
The bronzes from the original size are identified as 'taille de la Porte' or 'Moyen modèle'. They were cast from 1884 to 1969 by the foundries Griffoul, François Rudier, Alexis Rudier and Georges Rudier. The Alexis Rudier foundry created about 30 examples of Le Penseur in that size, on request from customers or dealers.
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) did not cast his own bronzes but collaborated closely with specialized Parisian foundries, most notably Alexis Rudier (from around 1902 onward as his primary caster). He oversaw the process attentively, particularly the final chasing and patina, while relying on the foundries' expertise for technical execution.
Rodin worked primarily in clay (sometimes wax or plaster), with assistants producing plaster models or patterns for casting. He authorized multiples, viewing the bronze as a faithful yet interpretable realization of his vision.
Primary Technique: Sand Casting (Pièce au Sable) at Rudier
Alexis Rudier specialized in sand casting, the dominant method for large-scale and durable sculptures in 19th–early 20th-century France. This differed from the lost-wax (cire perdue) process favored by some contemporaries and later used more by Susse for Giacometti.
Key Steps:
- Pattern Creation: From Rodin’s clay or plaster original, a durable plaster pattern was made (sometimes metal for smaller editions). Complex works like The Thinker were sectioned into pieces using “Roman joints” (detachable cuts) for molding.
- Mold Making: The pattern was pressed into specially prepared sand (silica mixed with clay binders). Multiple sectional molds (cope and drag) and internal cores created hollow casts. Intricate pieces required dozens of modular “false cores” (up to 40–50 for monumental works). Molds were dried in ovens for days or weeks.
- Pouring: Gating systems (sprues, runners, risers) directed molten bronze (>1000°C). The alloy was typically a consistent low-zinc tin bronze (~92–95% copper, 4–7% tin, <2% zinc on average), suited to sand casting for strength and corrosion resistance.
- Demolding and Chasing: After cooling, the sand mold was destroyed. Artisans removed gates, repaired defects by brazing/welding, and chased surfaces with tools to refine details while preserving Rodin’s expressive modeling, tool marks, and intentional texture (including visible seams, which Rodin sometimes requested to retain).
Rodin experimented with lost-wax (e.g., early works with Gonon or Bingen foundries) but often returned to sand casting due to disappointments with results. Some sources note he “preferred” lost-wax for its detail fidelity, but Rudier’s sand expertise dominated his mature output.
Basic Lost-Wax Steps (when used):
- Soft mold (gelatin historically) from plaster model.
- Wax positive created.
- Investment mold built, wax burned out.
- Bronze poured into the cavity.
- Chasing and finishing followed.
Patina was crucial—Rodin collaborated with specialists like Jean Limet (father and son) for chemical application:
- Chemicals (copper/iron nitrates, etc.) and heat created artificial brown, green, or variegated surfaces mimicking natural oxidation.
- Layered effects enhanced light interaction and texture.
- Protective wax or lacquer sealed the finish. Rodin approved variations, valuing how patina animated the form.
Rudier casts show remarkably consistent low-zinc alloys, aiding identification via XRF analysis. This reflects sand-casting preferences (higher zinc more common in lost-wax for fluidity). Posthumous casts (after 1917, under Musée Rodin) continued at Rudier and successors like Georges Rudier, maintaining high standards.
Rodin’s process exemplified 19th–20th-century French foundry craftsmanship: a collaborative chain from studio modeling to foundry execution, with the artist’s final approval ensuring artistic integrity. His bronzes remain benchmarks for technical excellence and expressive power. For specific works, foundry marks (“Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris”), alloy analysis, and Musée Rodin documentation provide key authentication details.
lifetime
1906
2013 SOLD for $ 15.3M by Sotheby's
Bronzes are edited from the figures of the Porte de l'Enfer, by François Rudier and, from 1902, by the Fonderie Alexis Rudier then headed by Eugène Rudier, a son of the late creator of this company.
The most prestigious Rodin bronzes are those made under the direct supervision of the artist by the Fonderie Alexis Rudier in the original size planned for the gates, identified as 'moyen modèle'.
A Penseur has all these great features. This cast was made in 1906 as a single copy on commission by the American Ralph Pulitzer, son of the media owner. It was sold for $ 15.3M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on May 7, 2013. Please watch the video shared by the auction house introducing three Rodin bronzes of that sale.
The most prestigious Rodin bronzes are those made under the direct supervision of the artist by the Fonderie Alexis Rudier in the original size planned for the gates, identified as 'moyen modèle'.
A Penseur has all these great features. This cast was made in 1906 as a single copy on commission by the American Ralph Pulitzer, son of the media owner. It was sold for $ 15.3M from a lower estimate of $ 8M by Sotheby's on May 7, 2013. Please watch the video shared by the auction house introducing three Rodin bronzes of that sale.
1917
2010 SOLD for $ 11.8M by Sotheby's
Auguste Rodin is 40 years old in 1880. His genius is already recognized, since it is a French public institution which orders the production of a masterpiece: la Porte de l'Enfer (The Gates of Hell).
The artist imagines a monumental bronze door 6 feet tall, with several registers as the famous doors of the Baptistery of Florence. This project was the thread throughout his work, and his most outstanding sculptures have been conceived according to their position in this group.
The desire for a collector to have a bronze cast in Rodin's lifetime and in the size of the original clay model is a bit like having a real part of the prestigious door.
A 71 cm high example of le Penseur was cast by Rudier with a beautiful brown-green patina in 1917 a few months before the death of Rodin. It was sold for € 3.1M by Mathias on June 17, 2009 and for $ 11.8M by Sotheby's on May 5, 2010.
Le Penseur had been in a continuous improvement during the 37 last years of Rodin's life. The last version is the plaster of 1917, of which 3 bronze copies were cast. This figure is at the place originally intended for a figure of Dante which was never made.
Le Baiser had been removed from the Gates before this last lifetime version. No kiss in Hell !!!
The artist imagines a monumental bronze door 6 feet tall, with several registers as the famous doors of the Baptistery of Florence. This project was the thread throughout his work, and his most outstanding sculptures have been conceived according to their position in this group.
The desire for a collector to have a bronze cast in Rodin's lifetime and in the size of the original clay model is a bit like having a real part of the prestigious door.
A 71 cm high example of le Penseur was cast by Rudier with a beautiful brown-green patina in 1917 a few months before the death of Rodin. It was sold for € 3.1M by Mathias on June 17, 2009 and for $ 11.8M by Sotheby's on May 5, 2010.
Le Penseur had been in a continuous improvement during the 37 last years of Rodin's life. The last version is the plaster of 1917, of which 3 bronze copies were cast. This figure is at the place originally intended for a figure of Dante which was never made.
Le Baiser had been removed from the Gates before this last lifetime version. No kiss in Hell !!!
posthumous
Rodin authorized bronze editions during his lifetime and, via his will/bequest to the French state (Musée Rodin), permitted posthumous casts to support the museum and his legacy. The Alexis Rudier foundry (and later Georges Rudier) produced authorized casts. Roughly 40 high-quality authentic bronzes of this medium size exist across lifetime and early posthumous editions (lifetime ~17; early posthumous ~17 by Alexis Rudier 1919–1945; later ones by Georges Rudier). Many are in museums; only about 10 remain in private hands. Comité Rodin/Galerie Brame & Lorenceau authenticates them for the forthcoming catalogue critique.
Posthumous casts (post-1917) are highly regarded if early, well-patinated, and with strong provenance from the Musée Rodin. Quality, patina, foundry marks (e.g., Alexis Rudier), and inscriptions matter greatly. Market demand remains strong for prime examples due to the sculpture’s universal symbolism of contemplation and genius.
Overall context: Rodin multiples are a mature, transparent market. Prices for top Thinker casts have held or grown over decades despite economic cycles, driven by icon status and limited private supply. Authenticity (Comité Rodin), condition/patina, and provenance are key value drivers. Smaller or later casts trade at lower levels.
Posthumous casts (post-1917) are highly regarded if early, well-patinated, and with strong provenance from the Musée Rodin. Quality, patina, foundry marks (e.g., Alexis Rudier), and inscriptions matter greatly. Market demand remains strong for prime examples due to the sculpture’s universal symbolism of contemplation and genius.
Overall context: Rodin multiples are a mature, transparent market. Prices for top Thinker casts have held or grown over decades despite economic cycles, driven by icon status and limited private supply. Authenticity (Comité Rodin), condition/patina, and provenance are key value drivers. Smaller or later casts trade at lower levels.
1924
2018 SOLD for $ 8.2M by Christie's
A colossal bronze of Rodin's Penseur had been exhibited in 1904 at the Saint-Louis World's Fair celebrating the centennial of the Louisiana purchase.
A visitor was dazzled forever. In December 1924 he commissioned to the Musée Rodin a copy of the moyen modèle which was cast in the same month by Alexis Rudier fondeur.
This high quality example with a beautiful black and brown patina was sold for $ 8.2M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on May 15, 2018, lot 22A, from the family of its original owner.
A visitor was dazzled forever. In December 1924 he commissioned to the Musée Rodin a copy of the moyen modèle which was cast in the same month by Alexis Rudier fondeur.
This high quality example with a beautiful black and brown patina was sold for $ 8.2M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Christie's on May 15, 2018, lot 22A, from the family of its original owner.
1925
2015 SOLD for £ 6.3M by Sotheby's
Between 1922 and 1931 the Japan based art dealer Herman d'Oelsnitz organized a series of commercial exhibitions of works by Rodin, some of them directly acquired from Musée Rodin.
An undated Penseur moyen modèle inscribed with the foundry mark Alexis Rudier fondeur Paris was acquired by d'Oelsnitz in 1925 probably for the use of a younger brother of the emperor Hirohito. Its patina is a rich dark brown.
It was sold for £ 6.3M from a lower estimate of £ 3M by Sotheby's on February 3, 2015, lot 14.
An undated Penseur moyen modèle inscribed with the foundry mark Alexis Rudier fondeur Paris was acquired by d'Oelsnitz in 1925 probably for the use of a younger brother of the emperor Hirohito. Its patina is a rich dark brown.
It was sold for £ 6.3M from a lower estimate of £ 3M by Sotheby's on February 3, 2015, lot 14.
1928
2022 SOLD for € 10.7M by Christie's
A Moyen modèle made by the company of Alexis Rudier ca 1928 with a dark brown patina was sold for € 10.7M by Christie's on June 30, 2022, lot 41. Its wooden plinth had been commissioned by the interior designer Alberto Pinto for the use of a 'grand style' apartment in Quai d'Orsay.
This is a posthumous cast circa 1928 (Alexis Rudier foundry), height 28 ⅛ in. (71.5 cm), inscribed with Rodin signature and foundry mark.
Provenance (strong, tied to Musée Rodin):
This is a posthumous cast circa 1928 (Alexis Rudier foundry), height 28 ⅛ in. (71.5 cm), inscribed with Rodin signature and foundry mark.
Provenance (strong, tied to Musée Rodin):
- Musée Rodin, Paris
- Weston Thorn, New York (acquired ~1989)
- Sotheby’s New York, 15 Nov 1989, lot 26
- Kobayashi Gallery, Tokyo (acquired there)
- Private Collection, Japan
- Kobayashi Gallery, Tokyo
- Christie’s New York, 13 Nov 1996, lot 6
- Private Collection, Europe (acquired there)
- Christie’s Paris, 30 June 2022, lot 41
Special Report
Compare Sand Casting and Lost Wax
Sand casting (pièce au sable) and lost-wax casting (cire perdue) are the two primary traditional methods for casting bronze sculptures. Both produce hollow bronze objects, but they differ significantly in process, capabilities, surface results, and suitability for artists like Rodin (primarily sand via Rudier) versus later Giacometti (primarily lost-wax via Susse).Process Comparison
Sand Casting:
Sand Casting:
Sand Casting:
- A plaster pattern (from the artist's model) is pressed into specially prepared sand molds (cope and drag halves, often with internal cores).
- The mold is dried; gating channels are added.
- Molten bronze is poured; after cooling, the single-use sand mold is broken away.
- Extensive chasing removes seams/gates and refines the surface while preserving texture.
- A flexible mold (gelatin historically, silicone modern) taken from the model creates a wax positive.
- The wax is invested in a refractory shell (ceramic shell today); wax is melted out ("lost").
- Bronze is poured into the cavity; shell is broken after cooling.
- Chasing follows, but less aggressive due to higher initial fidelity.
Sand Casting:
- Pros: Cost-effective for larger editions or monumental works; excellent for durable, thick-walled casts suited to outdoor exposure; high fidelity to the original pattern; consistent results with skilled foundries; lower cost for simpler designs.
- Cons: Rougher surface finish (requires more chasing); visible seams from mold joints (sometimes left for artistic effect by Rodin); less ideal for very fine undercuts or extreme delicacy without sectioning; limited rework on the "positive" before casting.
- Pros: Superior detail and surface fidelity (captures fingerprints, tool marks, fine textures); highly versatile for complex, intricate, or thin forms; allows artist adjustments to the wax model; smoother initial cast reducing post-work.
- Cons: More expensive and time-consuming; higher material/labor costs; potential for defects if burnout or pouring fails; less economical for very large/simple editions.
- Alloys: Sand casting often uses low-zinc tin bronzes (consistent, ~92–95% copper, 4–7% tin) for strength and castability in sand. Lost-wax frequently employs higher-zinc alloys for better fluidity in intricate molds.
- Surface and Patina: Sand casts yield a slightly softer, more tactile surface (preferred by some for its "sculptural" feel). Lost-wax preserves raw expressiveness (e.g., Giacometti's rough plasters). Both accept similar chemical patinas, but lost-wax often requires less refinement.
- Scale and Complexity: Sand excels for large monuments (e.g., Rodin's Thinker). Lost-wax shines for delicate, attenuated figures or intricate compositions (e.g., Giacometti's slender forms).
- Rodin/Rudier Era (late 19th–early 20th century): Sand casting dominated for reliability, cost, and fidelity in producing hundreds of bronzes. Rodin tried lost-wax but often returned to sand, valuing its aesthetic qualities and Rudier's expertise.
- Giacometti/Susse Era (mid-20th century onward): Lost-wax (with modern ceramic shell) became preferred for preserving fragile plaster textures and enabling thinner, more existential forms.
- Modern Use: Lost-wax (investment/ceramic shell) is now dominant in fine art for its versatility. Sand remains relevant for large-scale or cost-sensitive projects.
