The Kiss

14 November, 2013

One of the places that I wanted to revisit while in Paris is the Musee Rodin.  In the history of art, August Rodin is my favorite of the sculptors.  I love the slightly crude and exaggerated form that he used to not just convey mass, but also emotion.

Cathedral

Fugit Amor (Fleeting Love)

In addition to many studio maquettes — sculptural sketches  — the collection has several casts that are among my favorites in the world of art:  The Gates of Hell (and associated independently cast figures The Thinker, and The Three Shades), and The Burghers of Calais.  (See the Wiki for history and some analysis of these. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Rodin  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gates_of_Hell  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burghers_of_Calais)

First study for the Gates of Hell

The Gates of Hell

The Burghers of Calais

Unfortunately it was raining off and on and I didn’t get to spend the afternoon in the garden quite the way I had hoped.  Such is Paris in the fall, however.  Afterwards, I walked through the Champ de Mars towards the Tower and waited for the top of the hour when the water cannons at the Trocadero fountains fired.

Three Shades with The Thinker and the Tower in the distance

The Thinker

Trocadero