The Falling Man

Auguste Rodin|Godard Foundry

modeled ca. 1882, cast 1982 · Bronze · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

A version of this doomed figure with upraised arms clung to the underside of the doorway on The Gates of Hell, struggling in vain to escape the inferno below. Here, placed kneeling on a rocky base, The Falling Man thrusts backward in a gesture of extreme physical and psychological pain. The figure demonstrates how Rodin recycled and reoriented figures and fragments to create new compositions.

Artist

Auguste Rodin|Godard Foundry

Date

modeled ca. 1882, cast 1982

Medium

Bronze

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, 1986