19th & 20th Century Sculpture

Auguste Rodin is considered to be one of the greatest artists of all times, as well as the greatest sculptor of the 19th- and 20th-century. The artist left his studio in Paris, the Hôtel Biron, in his will to the French State, now known as the Musée Rodin, housing the largest collection of his work as a sculptor and draughtsman. The artist’s work is represented in major Museums and important private collections throughout the world. Rodin’s will expressed his desire that the French State kept editing the bronze casts of his works, contributing to the gravity of his legacy.

Born in 1864 in northern France, Camille Claudel was a French sculptor who was not fully appreciated during her lifetime but has since become world-renowned for her unique figurative works in bronze and marble. Claudel now has her own museum, the Camille Claudel Museum in Nogent-sur-Seine, and her works are considered integral to any serious collection of sculpture from this period. She is also widely known for her controversial, and ultimately tragic, love affair with Auguste Rodin, which has been highlighted by two films, Camille Claudel and Rodin, along with numerous books.

Gustinus Ambrosi, despite his Italian descent, was born in Eisenstadt, Austria, in February 1893. His initial passion for music was unfortunately hindered by a childhood illness that caused him to lose his hearing at the age of seven. Instead, Ambrosi focused his creative and artistic talents on drawing and sculpture. Much of his time was spent crafting hundreds of plaster models, which displayed an unusually mature quality from early on.

Aimé-Jules Dalou was born in Paris in 1838. He began his artistic career as a student of Carpeaux and Duret at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he met Auguste Rodin. He debuted at the Paris Salon in 1861, exhibiting the piece Dame romaine jouant aux osselets (‘A Roman Lady Playing Jacks’). He then developed a highly personalised sculptural style, focusing on the depiction of female figures in day-to-day tasks. The success of such models was crowned when Dalou received critical acclaim and a third-class medal for the sculpture Brodeuse (‘The Embroiderer’), at the Paris Salon of 1870.

Frederic Lord Leighton was one of the most prolific and influential artists in Victorian Britain. Born in Scarborough, he studied and worked in Europe before settling in London in 1859. He became an associate member of the Royal Academy in 1864, and a Royal Academician in 1868. He was elected president of the RA in 1878. Although Leighton is primarily known for his paintings, he was also a fundamental figure in the development of late Victorian sculptural aesthetics.

As a schoolboy, Moore showed a talent for art but was encouraged by his family to train as a teacher, as they feared he would not make a great living at what they considered manual labour. Moore found little pleasure in teaching, however, and signed up to serve in the British Army during World War I. He was exposed to a gas attack by German forces at the Battle of Cambrai and was invalided from his service.

Sir William Hamo Thornycroft was one of the leading figures of the New Sculpture movement, and a great inspiration to many artists of his day. He was born in London in 1850, the son of sculptors Thomas and Mary Thornycroft. Encouraged by the family’s engagement with the arts, he entered the Royal Academy at the age of 19, while working in his father’s workshop.

Alfred Gilbert was one of the leading sculptors of his day and a key figure of the New Sculpture movement. Born in London in 1854, he was admitted into the Royal Academy Schools in 1873. In 1875, he moved to Paris where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under the sculptor Jules Cavelier.