Rodin chose for his subject dante s inferno from the divine comedy c. The gates of hell, an unfinished project, resulted in two of his most famous pieces. At rodins death, the first curator of the musee rodin had a complete model of the gates assembled from the original molds. Look closely, and you can see the book slipping from the mans left. On august 16, 1880, rodin received a commission to create a pair of bronze doors for a new decorative arts museum in paris.
The man sitting on the center of the tympanum staring down at the figures descending to hell is the thinker, and the three shades standing on top of the gatse are closely related to the form of adam. For the rest of his life rodin was involved in the creation of this work, and he created numerous works which are independent from the gates of hell. Cast made by fonderie alexis rudier in 1928 for the museum collections. The history of the gates of hell is well known, but it will bear repetition. In 1880, just after the state purchased the age of bronze in plaster and bronze, rodin, through his contacts with state undersecretary turquet, received a commission for a portal of the proposed musee des arts decoratifs on the cour des comptes, ravaged in 1871. From the first version spring many of rodins best known sculptures, including his most famous, the thinker, originally conceived as. The bronze sculpture the gates of hell by auguste rodin has been standing alongside the entrance to the kunsthaus zurich art museum since 1949. The story behind rodins the kiss open culture says. Auguste rodin the gates of hell collection the national. Rodin received the commission from the french government in 1880. The gates of hell occupied a unique place in rodins oeuvre. The gates of hell by auguste rodin albert edward elsen. The gates of hell crater was created in 1971 when a soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling.
When the last of the remnant is murdered at the sagrada familia in barcelona, arkane agent dr morgan sierra is drawn into the hunt for a supernatural key. A hysterical reading of rodins gates of hell article pdf available in art history 365 november 20 with 227 reads how we measure reads. In the present richly illustrated volume, elsen tells the story of the creation of the gates from the first preliminary. Gates of hell sculpture palo alto, california atlas obscura. It was commissioned in 1880 as a door for a museum of decorative arts in paris, due for completion in 1880, but the museum was never built, and rodin continued to work. The sculpture was commissioned in 1880, and it became rodins life work as he continued to work on and off on this project for 37 years, until his death in 1917. The gates of hell is a massive sculpture work created by the french artist auguste rodin. The gates of hell was described as one of the defining works of rodin. The gates of hell from the moment the work was commissioned in 1880 until his death thirtyseven years later, the gates of hell dominated much of auguste rodins life, thought, and labor.
It was not exhibited until the great exhibition of 1900 and even then in an unfinished state. This article argues that in the gates of hell, rodin engaged with, interpreted. Auguste rodin, the gates of hell, 18801917, plaster musee dorsay, paris speakers. A twentyfive minute doctumentary about auguste rodins monumental sculpture the gates of hell, which exists in two radically different versions. Influenced by the masters of antiquity, the genius of michelangelo and baroque sculpture, particularly of bernini, auguste rodin 18401917 is one of the most renowned artists in history. The imagery in the gates of hell was inspired by dantes divine comedy and by charles baudelaires les fleurs du mal. Though rodin is considered a founder of modern sculpture, he did not set out to critique past classical traditions. It was created by the french sculptor between 1880 and 1917. Rodin, gates of hell when the building that was earlier on what is now the site of the musee dorsay in paris, was destroyed by fire during the commune in 1871, plans were drawn up to replace it with a museum of decorative arts.
A twentyfive minute doctumentary about auguste rodin s monumental sculpture the gates of hell, which exists in two radically different versions. In 1880, rodin began working on the gates of hell, a colossal double door sculpture portraying a narrative from dantes inferno. From the first version spring many of rodin s best known sculptures, including his most famous, the thinker, originally conceived as a portrait of dante gazing at hell from above. Auguste rodin by the gates of hell is in the collecion of the national museum of. One extremely helpful aspect of this richly informative and illustrated book is a map schematic of the gates of hell that le normandromain includes, just before she begins discussing some of the major elements of rodins doors. Many of the details and individual figures were enlarged and became works of. This project became rodins life work as he continued to work on and off on it for 37 years, until his death in 1917. We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. Interestingly enough, many of rodins most famous sculptures were derived directly from smaller reliefs located within the gates of hell, including the thinker, which can be found perched right at the top of the human matrix of this massive work and is m eant to depict dante himself mentally gestating the poem that invented the italian language. Rodins sculpture at stanford university, california. The gates of hell by auguste rodin joy of museums virtual. Rodin received the commission from the french government in 1880, not long after he had been introduced to the. Jun 20, 1982 the history of the gates of hell is well known, but it will bear repetition. The imagery of the sculpture is based on a scene from dantes the inferno and the gates stand.
Having hoped to exhibit his gates at the 1889 exposition universelle, but probably too busy to finish them, the sculptor stopped working on them circa 1890. Smart news keeping you current how the roman gates of hell killed animal sacrifices but let human priests escape unharmed in ancient times, the gates seemed to respond to supernatural powers. See more ideas about rodin, gates of hell and auguste rodin. Albert elsen, the gates of hell, michigan state university. Rodin, gates of hell art history ii simple book production. Rodin is a beautiful book, and it ranges far afield for images of rodins great treasury.
Auguste rodin, the gates of hell, 18801917, plaster musee dorsay, paris when the building that stood on what is now the site of the musee dorsay in paris was destroyed by fire during the commune in 1871, plans were drawn up to replace it with a museum of decorative arts. Rodin was at times a disturbingly bombastic artistwhile his gates of hell may be the work of a genius, it is also pure kitschbut in the years just after 1900, when rilke got to know him, the avantgarde was still inclined to embrace rodin as a roughhewn visionary, a man in whose studio, as rilke wrote, everything was becoming, but. The courtauld gallerys exhibition of botticellis drawings after dantes divine comedy provides an ideal framework for presenting current research into rodins use of dante in the making of his monumental gates of hell. This paper discusses the literary sources of auguste rodins gates of hell and in particular the artists highly personal interpretation of dantes inferno. The rodin museum in philadelphia owns the first bronze cast of the gates, commissioned in 1925 by the museums founder, jules mastbaum.
Working feverishly on this project for several years, he created over 200 figures and groups that formed a breeding ground for ideas which he drew on for the rest of his working life. Pdf a hysterical reading of rodins gates of hell, art history. How the roman gates of hell killed animal sacrifices but. He received the commission on august 20, 1880 for a new art museum in paris, to exhibit at the 1889 exposition universelle, which ultimately did not open. But the real big door in front of you is something else. Inspired by the divine comedy, written by dante alighieri italian, c. What they are about and something of their history. Feb 15, 20 the gates of hell from the moment the work was commissioned in 1880 until his death thirtyseven years later, the gates of hell dominated much of auguste rodin s life, thought, and labor. Paris, philadelphia, tokyo, zurich, stanford, shizuoka, and seoul. Outside the kunsthaus zurich, stands one of only eight bronze casts of the sculpture by auguste rodin known as the gates of hell. Smarthistorys free, awardwinning digital content unlocks the expertise.
Pdf this paper offers a new reading of auguste rodins most important. The gates of hell 1880about 1900 was rodins most ambitious commission. The thinker was originally called the poet and was conceived as part of the gates of hell, initially a commission 1880 for a pair of bronze doors to a planned museum of decorative arts in paris. Steven zucker when the building, earlier on the site of the musee dorsay in paris, was destroyed by fire during the commune in 1871, plans were drawn up to replace it with a museum of decorative arts. Auguste rodin was commissioned to make a pair of bronze doors to symbolize the gates of hell. The gates of hell, third maquette auguste rodin 1840 1917 1881.
Rodin, the gates of hell video sculpture khan academy. Lots of museums have rodin pieces and theyre often tiny versions even tabletop sculptures. It stands at 6 metres high, 4 metres wide and 1 metre deep 19. After its destruction by fire in 1871, during the commune. Nov 14, 2016 one extremely helpful aspect of this richly informative and illustrated book is a map schematic of the gates of hell that le normandromain includes, just before she begins discussing some of the major elements of rodins doors. The gates of hell, by auguste rodin, 18801917 the core. Few people will argue with the claim that auguste rodin is one of the greatest. The gates of hell by auguste rodin albert edward elsen on. Several nowfamous figures found in the gates of hell were adapted as individual sculptures by rodin. The gates of hell, museo soumaya, mexico city the gates of hell french. Auguste rodin, french sculptor of sumptuous bronze and marble figures, considered by some critics to be the greatest portraitist in the history of sculpture.
Label in 1880 rodin was commissioned to create a set of bronze doors for a new museum in paris. In the nineteenth century, the old audit office stood on the site of the orsay railway station. In the present richly illustrated volume, elsen tells the story of the creation of the gates from the first preliminary drawings through their successive metamorphoses. Pdf a hysterical reading of rodins gates of hell researchgate. Many of the details and individual figures were enlarged and became works of art of their own. Many of his sculptures were criticised and considered controversial because of their.
Today there are seven casts of the gates of hell throughout the world, made between 1926 and 1997. The bronze sculpture is a vision of the afterlife inspired by dantes inferno from the divina commedia. Originally conceived to be the entrance portal for a nevertobebuilt museum of decorative arts in paris, the gates of hell features hundreds of figures modeled in high relief and intheround. The other part of the greek where jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it matt 16. The gates of hell is a sculptural group created by auguste rodin that depicts a scene from the inferno from dante alighieris book the divine comedy. In rodins lifetime the gates of hell was never cast in bronze and was known only in a fullsize plaster model kept at the artists studio in meudon outside of paris. Try to see it in the original, largest casting if you can. Mar 03, 2016 auguste rodin, the gates of hell, 18801917, plaster musee dorsay, paris speakers. Originally conceived to be the entrance portal for a neverrealized museum of decorative arts in paris, the gates features hundreds of figures modeled in high relief and intheround.