About the Artist
Auguste Rodin is considered to be one of the greatest artists of all time, as well as the greatest sculptor of the 19th and 20th centuries. Born in Paris in 1840, Rodin studied drawing at the Petite École together with fellow sculptor and friend Aimé-Jules Dalou. He moved to Belgium at the age of 24, struggling to find work in the French capital, and joined the atelier of Carrier-Belleuse.
A trip to Florence in 1875 and the encounter with Michelangelo’s works represented a turning point in Rodin’s career. Upon his return, he conceived and presented 青铜时代 at the Paris Salon, which was initially rejected by the judges as being a cast of an actual person. The sculpture was eventually accepted, marking the beginning of the artist’s fame, which grew exponentially until his death in 1917. Among Rodin’s most celebrated works are The Kiss, The Thinker 和 Eternal Spring—all conceived for his first important commission, the 地狱之门, a massive set of doors originally planned for the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. Rodin’s most notable public monuments include The Burghers of Calais, The Monument to Balzac 和 The Monument to Victor Hugo.
Bowman Sculpture, 面孔和寓言 exhibition, 2024
Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture, due to his influence on the following generations of artists and sculptors in France and abroad. In the context of Rodin sculpture, the work of Camille Claudel—the artist’s most famous pupil and lover—should be remembered. The relationship between Claudel and Rodin has been the subject of numerous books and films, reflecting the talent of both artists.
In 2017, the centenary of Rodin’s death was marked by a major retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris, which showcased over 200 sculptures alongside works by artists he influenced, including Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti.
Bowman Sculpture & Auguste Rodin
Bowman Sculpture is regarded internationally as a leading source on authenticated Auguste Rodin sculpture. Over the decades, the gallery has handled a significant number of sculptures by the artist, building one of the most extensive bodies of knowledge on Rodin in private hands. That depth of expertise informs everything about how Bowman Sculpture engages with his work: his techniques, his foundries and the authentication of his sculpture.
Bowman Sculpture, 现代雕塑的诞生 exhibition, 2017
Robert Bowman is regularly consulted as an authority on Rodin, and the gallery has worked closely with leading Rodin scholars, institutions and the Comité Rodin since its establishment in 2004. The Comité Rodin has been instrumental in authenticating sculptures by Rodin, providing extensive provenance and historical information, which has contributed considerably to the stability of the market. The committee continues to maintain an ongoing catalogue raisonné and allocates a unique reference number to each sculpture it certifies.
As well as building extensive private collections, the gallery has sold numerous works to international museums, including She Who Was the Helmet-Maker’s Beautiful Wife, sold to the Van Gogh Museum, and the correspondence between Rodin and his model, Sybil Mignon Cooke, acquired by the Musée Rodin.
奥古斯特·罗丹， Burghers of Calais, Musée Rodin
The gallery has staged numerous solo exhibitions in London dedicated to Rodin, including In Private Hands (2014) and 面孔和寓言 (2024), which brought together the largest group of Rodin bronzes seen in the UK since the Royal Academy’s landmark retrospective, 罗丹, in 2006-2007. The gallery’s 现代雕塑的诞生 (2017) was the only UK solo exhibition marking the centenary of the artist’s death.
As authenticated sculptures by Auguste Rodin have grown rarer and harder to source internationally, Bowman Sculpture’s dealings in his work are conducted increasingly through individual, private transactions rather than public exhibition. Every work by Auguste Rodin offered by Bowman Sculpture is accompanied by a certificate from the Comité Rodin.
Collectors are warmly invited to contact the gallery directly to arrange a private viewing or to discuss works that are currently available.
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