On April 3rd, a special lecture by art historian Ahn Hyun-bae was held at 6 p.m. at the Chung-Ang University Library. The topic of the lecture was a conversation between Michelangelo and Rodin. As the actual talk focused mainly on Rodin, the Chung-Ang Herald has likewise focused this review on Rodin. We want to share the story of Rodin’s sculpture Life.
1. How Did Rodin Start His Life as a Sculptor?
Rodin is the greatest sculptor who lived in the 1800s. He started to work as a sculptor by repairing statues that had been made by famous artists. However, there were too many people in France doing the same thing. For this reason, Rodin moved to Belgium to explore his prospects as a sculptor. The people of Belgium recognized him because he had studied in France. Thus, he was able to get a job right away.
2. Rodin's Handicapped Age
Rodin's pieces were not well received by others for being ‘different from this time.’ One example of his work is The Age of Bronze. The reason why this work did not get good reviews is that the sculpture did not resemble a human figure, but was really just like a human. As a result, he was considered a swindler. When the work was submitted to the competition, a few people commented positively, saying, "No matter how much it may have been done, the fact that Rodin did a good job on the sculpture does not change." Ashamed of his reputation, Rodin tried several attempts to persuade people, but he was not given a chance to clear his name.
3. Rodin's The Gates of Hell
Rodin, who was heading to Italy to study Michelangelo's work, saw The Gates of Heaven located in front of the Duomo Cathedral and decided to create The Gates of Hell. Back in Belgium, where his family lived, Rodin was ordered to make a school gate for the National Sculpture School. Rodin, who created The Gates of Hell, placed a world-famous work called the Le Penseur on the top of The Gates of Hell. In addition, Rodin expresses only one clear scene, unlike his motif, Gates of Heaven, showing 10 distinct scenes. This scene is based on a sculpture of Michelangelo's most revered work, The Last Judgement. Due to the nature of the material that molds can produce the same sculpture many times, The Gates of Hell has been reproduced. However, it is now recognized as the original copy of The Gates of Hell by number 13.