The Age of Bronze (L'Age d'airain)

Auguste Rodin|Alexis Rudier

modeled 1876, cast ca. 1906 · Bronze · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Rodin’s breakout sculpture, The Age of Bronze caused a critical scandal for its extreme naturalism and ambiguous subject matter. Fashioned over a period of eighteen months and based on a live model, the sculpture depicts a suspended moment of human awakening, either to suffering or to joy. First exhibited in 1877 in Brussels with the title The Conquered Man (Le Vaincu [literal translation, "The Vanquished"]), it was displayed later the same year in Paris with its current title. Rodin promoted the work’s multiple interpretations, saying, "There are at least four figures in it."

Artist

Auguste Rodin|Alexis Rudier

Date

modeled 1876, cast ca. 1906

Medium

Bronze

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, 1907