Triton and Nereid

Auguste Rodin

ca. 1886–93 · Terracotta · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This terracotta sketch of sensuously entwined sea deities reveals Rodin’s direct engagement with the subject of the female nude. The figure of Triton—caressing the Nereid’s voluptuously modeled torso—embodies the spirit of Rodin’s desire and veneration for the female body. The Met commissioned an over-life-size marble version of this work, but Rodin never completed it.

Artist

Auguste Rodin

Date

ca. 1886–93

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1912