Category: Rodin (Page 2 of 2)

While at the MET museum, I found both Rodin and Michelangelo’s work extremely captivating and unique to their respectful creators.

Within Rodin’s sculptures, I noticed there was a somber aspect connected to the works of art and it looked as if many of the characters depicted were suffering in one way or the other. I also noticed many of them were bent in a way that was covering themselves and or protecting their bodies.

In contrast, within MichealAngelo’s sculptures, I saw many of them portrayed liberally and gracefully. For example, this marble sculpture reminds me of an angel ready to soar and be free.

This sculpture by Angelo is depicted in a way in which the man is flaunting himself and is proudly posing for the viewer. His face is calm and relaxed and this piece of work had an overall serene feeling associated with it.

In opposition,  this  marble sculpture by Rodin, portrays a woman sitting in a lonesome manner as she turns her head away from something or someone. She doesn’t look like she is going anywhere and looks as if she is almost ashamed of something.

I found this particular sculpture of Rodin’s interesting as the woman bows and surrenders herself and body to the man who is only gently bowing his head, yet is holding her with a firm grip. Its almost as if he’s consuming her, as her body merges within his, and we see more of his body as opposed to hers.Thus I sense a patriarchal dominance within Rodin’s sculptures depicting the man and woman.

One of Michelangelo’s paintings that stood out to me was The Battle of Cascina, primarily because it didn’t seem like a battle that I was expecting.

I associate battles with weapons and soldiers with armor, not this dramatic scene with naked men going after one another. However, this highlights a greater battle, which is the fight between the individual man. Strip away, the weapons, the heavy armor, and cannons, what is there really left? Men fighting one another to the death. Thus, I think this painting portrays a battle scene at its most raw and real form.It was a daring task on MichealAngelo’s part, but nonetheless served to make a very loud statement centuries later and up to today.

One of Auguste Rodin’s most notable work, The Thinker, stood out to me as I first walked into the Robin exhibit. This bronze sculpture shows a male figure resting his head on his right hand and appears to be lost in a deep thought.

The title, The Thinker, reminded me of John Locke and the Enlightenment movement. The philosophical movement emphasized on reasoning, which allowed for explanation of many ideas in subjects such as science, law, and politics. This made me wonder if Rodin was in any way influenced by Locke as Rodin’s sculpture showed the core values (thinking deeply and critically) during the Enlightenment movement.  And if he was, what is the figure in the sculpture thinking about? That was the thought that came from the male figure’s body language.

Similarly, the body language of one of the figure in Robert Mapplethorpe’s “Male Nudes”, showed an isolated and closed feeling. The male figure is curled up and with his head faced down. This conveys a sense of loneliness and that the figure is avoiding others, trapped inside his own world. However, in his world, he could also be in deep thinking and contemplating over his life, with a bunch of overwhelming emotions that may be difficult to describe.

 (This is one of the very few photos I’ve taken in the Michelangelo exhibit that I have found interesting, mainly because the place felt like a church. While admiring the piece, the only question that I had was about the names under each figure who are sitting down. “Who are they and why are they important?”)