The Dissemination of Sculpture: Auguste Rodin

This presentation explores the questions surrounding the dissemination of sculpture with specific regard to Auguste Rodin. I use specific works by Rodin to make an argument that Rodin’s artistic process allowed for the propagation and dispersal of his works. Specifically, my research is focused on the works titled The Monument to Balzac and The Age of Bronze since Union has been given a reproduction of The Age of Bronze as well as a reproduction of a study for The Monument to Balzac. I survey the state of the question concerning Auguste Rodin within art historical scholarship to set up the framework to analyze his artistic process. I investigate The Monument to Balzac, and Rodin’s engagement with the process of making studies and the medium of photography throughout the development of this piece. I argue that his method of creation involved a combination of working through different interpretations of Balzac, as well as a deliberate utilization of photography that led to the spread of comprehension and knowledge of his art around the world. Through an analysis of the development, controversy, and eventual production of The Age of Bronze I propose that the widespread reproduction of this work rests on different implementations of the term “authenticity.” Collectively, I propose that Auguste Rodin’s art historical ubiquity is the result of his creative process and the reproductions made of his work, which both encourage the dissemination of Rodin’s art.