'There are unknown forces in nature; when we give ourselves wholly to her, without reserve, she lends them to us; she shows us these forms, which our watching eyes do not see, which our intelligence does not understand or suspect.'
Among art history’s most famous sculptors, Auguste Rodin developed a radical new approach to his medium: In the late 19th century, he made textured, naturalistic forms that diverged from the idealized, mythological sculptures of the past. Working with plaster, clay, bronze, terracotta, and marble, he molded and carved lone figures, lovers, and detailed group scenes. In his most famous works, including The Thinker and The Kiss, Rodin shaped bodies that convey significant emotion, from mental anguish to desire, via details such as furrowed brows, hunched back muscles, and suggestions of touch. Rodin’s works have been exhibited across the world and belong in the collections of the Tate, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée Rodin, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. His works have achieved up to eight figures on the secondary market.