Where Is The Age of Bronze? See It at This Museum

Q: Where can I see The Age of Bronze?

Bronze casts exist at the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and many other major museums. Rodin authorized multiple casts during his lifetime.

Q: Why was The Age of Bronze controversial?

Critics accused Rodin of casting directly from a living model because the anatomy seemed impossibly realistic. He spent years defending himself, eventually proving he had sculpted it traditionally. The controversy established his reputation.

Q: How big is The Age of Bronze?

The figure stands 180 centimeters tall (about 5 feet 11 inches), life-sized. The realistic scale contributed to accusations that Rodin had used life casting rather than traditional sculpting techniques.

Q: What does The Age of Bronze mean?

The title refers to human awakening from a primitive state, consciousness emerging in the nude figure. Rodin originally called it "The Vanquished" with a spear, but removed the prop for a more universal, ambiguous meaning.

French sculptor Auguste Rodin created this The Age of Bronze in 1877, a life-sized male nude that launched his career and immediately sparked controversy. Critics accused him of casting the figure directly from a living model, so realistic was the anatomy. Rodin spent years defending the work, eventually gaining recognition that established him as the leading sculptor of his generation.

The figure raises his left arm to his head in a gesture of awakening or anguish. Rodin originally titled it "The Vanquished" and gave him a spear, but removed the prop to create a more universal symbol. The title evokes human emergence from a primitive state, consciousness dawning in the nude male form.

Bronze casts exist in multiple museums, including the Musée Rodin in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The controversy over the work's realism ironically demonstrated Rodin's mastery. From this point forward, he was recognized as an artist who could rival the ancients in capturing the human body.

Bronze casts exist at the Musée Rodin in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and many other major museums. Rodin authorized multiple casts during his lifetime.

Critics accused Rodin of casting directly from a living model because the anatomy seemed impossibly realistic. He spent years defending himself, eventually proving he had sculpted it traditionally. The controversy established his reputation.

The figure stands 180 centimeters tall (about 5 feet 11 inches), life-sized. The realistic scale contributed to accusations that Rodin had used life casting rather than traditional sculpting techniques.

The title refers to human awakening from a primitive state, consciousness emerging in the nude figure. Rodin originally called it "The Vanquished" with a spear, but removed the prop for a more universal, ambiguous meaning.

The Age of Bronze

Details

The Artist

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About The Age of Bronze

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