Rodin: Eros and Creativity (Monographs) [Paperback]

Auguste Rodin (Author), Rainer Crone (Editor), Siegfried Salzmann (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Monographs | Publication Date: August 1997

This work features over 350 images of selected sculptures and late drawings by Rodin, documenting his obsession with sexuality and revealing the countless ways in which he depicted the subject: as a threat and a challenge, but also as a source of all creative inspiration and passion. Augmenting these illustrations are 10 essays by scholars which explore the ramifications of Eros in Rodin's work, including such topics as the nature of the fragment, Rodin's relationship to the model, his religiosity and his influence on his contemporaries as well as on future artists.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Published in conjunction with a 1991-92 German exhibition, this volume focuses on erotic motifs in the sculpture and drawings of Rodin (1840-1917). Eight European and American authors consider various aspects of this lifelong undercurrent in Rodin's artistic and personal activities, including his relationship with Camille Claudel (subject of a recent film and exhibition in her own right). The plates are of good quality. A worthwhile addition to the extensive Rodin bibliography, providing historical perspective on the current debate about objectionable art and multiple illuminations of an essential element in a great sculptor's art.
- Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791318098
• ISBN-13: 978-3791318097
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,970,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and physical, July 5, 2007

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rodin: Eros and Creativity (Paperback)

After "The Thinker," Rodin may be best known for "The Kiss" - that moving and elegant tribute to love's physical expression. It's only one of the master's studies of the topic.

This book opens with about fifty pages of biographical information, nicely illustrated with small insets, roughly a third of the page count. The real point of this book, however, is its collection of Rodin's art. We first see photographic studies of forty three sculptural works. These include single figures (like "Danaid") as well as couples, including "The Kiss", "The Eternal Idol," "Youth Triumphant," and others that vary in subject and mood. "Torso of Adele" captures one woman's voluptuous grace; "Walking Man" offers a simple statement of masculine power; "Pygmalion and Galatea" depicts a complex feeling that includes lowering oneself before the object of worship. A few black and white photos represent each piece, showing different angles and levels of detail. Unfortunately, the reader is at the mercy of the photographer's choices of views, which don't always depict the details one might want to examine. Choices of lighting and photographic reproduction also obscure some details, leaving the viewer as much tantalized as informed.

The end of the book reproduces 75 of Rodin's sketches and watercolor studies. Careful printing on opaque, bright paper brings out even the faint details in many of these works. These images cover a somewhat different range of sensibilites, including sprawling poses that tend towards the salacious. Others (e.g. "Sleeping Girl") depict more innocent views, and yet others (including "Sapphic Couple") go deeper into the erotic range. There's no contradiction between them; each is a point sample of Rodin's broad appreciation of women's beauty.

Rainer Crone does not cover the whole of Rodin's work, but doesn't try to. Instead this addresses one crucial segment of the total ouvre, and does so more thoroughly than broader studies can. This shouldn't be your only book on Rodin, but will complement your other studies of this masterful artist.

-- wiredweird

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heavy on the Art, But a Bit Confusing on the Eyes, March 4, 2003

By 

Eliza (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rodin: Eros and Creativity (Monographs) (Paperback)

I saw this book at the CMA and thought I'd write a review since no one has done so yet. This book is very nice for a paperback. Most of the writing, which I didn't really look at, was in the beginning of the book with the rest focusing primarily on reproductions of his sculpture. There were some photos of Rodin and the customary biographical information and a huge amount of reproductions of his work, most of which are good, but some are from angles that are not the best and some of the details are a bit confusing. With work like Rodin's that showcases a balance between the primitive and refined, it is important to get a clear shot in order to understand what it is that you are looking at. Some of the reproductions, while beautiful, are a bit confusing from that standpoint. Otherwise, a good book. I'll probably buy it myself someday, when I'm no longer a starving artist.