Auguste Rodin revealed his fervent and enduring exploration of the human form in his sculptures. In his work, The Tempest, Roding manages to give voice to the shrieking banshee emerging from the marble stone. As the caption puts it, he “unleashes sound from stone.” His work the The Tempest posed the question: Can artists release life from art? Whether they can or can’t is ultimately up to the beholder, for I personally thinking Rodin captured a life like quality in his sculptures.

While walking around the exhibit, I noticed Rodin crafted an array of hand-like sculptures. Personally, I have an infatuation with hands. They hold so much power and are capable of doing incredible things when given the chance to rise to their potential. Rodin seemed to share a similar belief. He believed that hands hold as much emotion as the face. This notion is best seen in his work entitled The Clenched Left Hand. The hand he sculpted is rigid and tense, and seems to be depicting an air of agony and despair. It’s impressive to think that seems so simple can express such deep meaning.

Continuing on the topic of hands, Rodin also crafted The Hand of God, in which he has an image of Adam and Eva cradled in God’s hand. The sculpture was mean to serve as a homage to his idol, Michelangelo. The sculpture itself is quite the site to see, and it’s meaning is even more bold in that Rodin is trying to equate the hand of God with the hand of the sculpture.

Compared to Michelangelo, Rodin’s work is more raw, whereas Michelangelo has a more graceful appeal. This is best scene in his bronze statue of Eros. At first glance, I thought the figure was that of a fallen angel. It wasn’t until upon reading the description where I realized that it was actually of Eros sleeping.