'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.'
Widely regarded as the father of modern sculpture, Auguste Rodin revolutionised the art form in the late 19th century by breaking away from the idealised, classical traditions of his predecessors. Instead, he pursued a deeply expressive, naturalistic approach that captured the raw emotion and psychological depth of the human experience.
Working across plaster, clay, bronze, terracotta, and marble, Rodin modelled figures that seem alive with movement and tension — from solitary, contemplative forms to intertwined lovers and complex group compositions. His most celebrated works, including The Thinker and The Kiss, embody a profound study of human emotion, conveyed through subtle gestures, tactile surfaces, and an acute sensitivity to the body’s anatomy.
Rodin’s ground-breaking vision reshaped the course of modern sculpture, influencing generations of artists that followed. His works have been exhibited and collected worldwide, held in major institutions such as the Tate, the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Today, his sculptures continue to command international acclaim, achieving prices in the eight-figure range on the secondary market.