Auguste Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture. Yet his works were deeply inspired by ancient classical and Renaissance art. He famously told the French critic Paul Gsell in 1910, “Come and see me tomorrow morning. We will talk of Phidias and Michelangelo, and I will model statuettes for you on the principles of both.”

Independent art historian Judy Scott Feldman explores how Rodin’s fascination, even obsession, with earlier figural traditions inspired his fusion of tradition and innovation in “The Kiss,” “The Gates of Hell,” and his powerful “Monument to Balzac.”

She examines why Rodin was absorbed by the Parthenon sculptures he saw at the British Museum; how his visit to Italy and his encounter with the sculptures of Michelangelo transformed his treatment of the male nude; and why he created a prolific output of fragments including hands, feet, and headless torsos.

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*

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*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.