Rodin

Edward J. Steichen|Auguste Rodin

1901 · Direct carbon print · Photographs

Steichen made a series of weekly visits in 1901 to observe Rodin in his studio, and he gradually devised the composition for his portrait, which juxtaposes the sculptor’s distinctive silhouette against the bright white marble of his newly carved Monument to Victor Hugo. Hugo occupied Rodin as a subject throughout his career, from his early attempts to make a name for himself with a bust of the celebrated poet to the monument he finally completed in 1909. Rodin said of Steichen’s work, "I consider Steichen a very great artist and the leading, the greatest photographer of the time. Before him, nothing conclusive had been achieved."

Artist

Edward J. Steichen|Auguste Rodin

Date

1901

Medium

Direct carbon print

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1933