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Iconic Artist Auguste Rodin Comes to the James A. Michener Art Museum

Rodin: The Human Experience — 52 Sculptures from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Collections Opens February 28

(Doylestown, PA) The James A. Michener Art Museum announces the highly-anticipated opening of Rodin: The Human Experience — Selections from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Collections – on Saturday, February 28, 2015 in the Paton | Smith | Della Penna-Fernberger Galleries. The exhibition, comprised of 52 bronze sculptures by French artist Auguste Rodin, will run through Sunday, June 14, 2015.

From L to R:) Auguste Rodin, Monumental Head of the Shade, executed about 1880, bronze, Musée Rodin cast II/IV, 1995, 26 ½ x 14 ¼ x 15 ½ in., Collection of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation  Auguste Rodin, Three Faunesses, modeled before 1896, cast number unknown in an edition of 12, bronze, 9 ¼ x 11 ½ x 6 ½ in., Collection of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation  Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917), The Thinker, Modeled 1880, reduced in 1903, this example cast at a later date, bronze, 14 ¾ x 7 ⅞ x 11 ⅝ in., Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation in honor of Governor Michael F. Easley and Mary P. Easley
From L to R:)
Auguste Rodin, Monumental Head of the Shade, executed about 1880, bronze, Musée Rodin cast II/IV, 1995, 26 ½ x 14 ¼ x 15 ½ in., Collection of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
Auguste Rodin, Three Faunesses, modeled before 1896, cast number unknown in an edition of 12, bronze, 9 ¼ x 11 ½ x 6 ½ in., Collection of Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917), The Thinker, Modeled 1880, reduced in 1903, this example cast at a later date, bronze, 14 ¾ x 7 ⅞ x 11 ⅝ in., Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation in honor of Governor Michael F. Easley and Mary P. Easley
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was one of the greatest sculptors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rodin: The Human Experience not only includes a stunning installation of bronzes featuring work that spans the artist’s long career, it is also especially rich in portraiture. Included are Rodin’s famous depictions of writer Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac; the musician Gustav Mahler; the artist Claude Lorraine; one of his favorite dancers, Hanako; and his portrayal of God, which is also a self-portrait.

The selected bronzes in the exhibition represent the major achievements of Rodin’s career. They include the powerful “Burghers of Calais”, as well as works derived from his masterpiece, “The Gates of Hell.” Others, such as “The Night (Double Figure)”, demonstrate his experimentation with assemblage. Also featured are sculptures, such as “Monumental Torso of the Walking Man”, which is an homage to his admiration for Michelangelo, and “Dance Movement D”, which speaks to his interest in creating an illusion of movement. A special loan of “The Thinker” from the North Carolina Museum of Art will complement the other figures featured in “The Gates of Hell.”

Rodin’s ability to use bronze to represent living flesh and his interest in expressing extreme psychological states were highly influential upon younger artists, both in Europe and America. Rodin: The Human Experience reveals why the artist is considered the crucial link between traditional and modern sculpture. Whether they embraced or rejected Rodin’s realism and respect for tradition, modern sculptors were, and continue to be, indebted to his innovative sculptural techniques as well as his focus on formal qualities and spatial relationships rather than narrative elements.

Related Programs:

Rodin Lecture Series
Tuesday, March 3 through Tuesday, April 21, 2015 · 1 to 2 pm
A Lecture Series will take place on four Tuesdays, March 3, 17, April 7 and April 21 from 1 – 2 pm in the Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion of the Museum. Fees are: $75 member/$90 non-member/$50 student with valid ID and includes Museum admission. A limited number of individual tickets may be available for $25 member/$30 non-member/$15 student with valid ID. For more information visit MichenerArtMuseum.org.
Rodin: The Human Experience — Selections from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Collections is generously supported by Visit Bucks County and Jon Paton. This exhibition was organized and made possible by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.

About The James A. Michener Art Museum
The James A. Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits American Art, with a focus on art of the Bucks County region. The Museum presents changing exhibitions that explore a variety of artistic expressions, and offers a diverse program of educational activities that seek to develop a lifelong involvement in the arts as well as nurture a wide range of audiences. We also seek to educate our community about nationally and internationally known Bucks County artists of all creative disciplines. The James A. Michener Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

The James A. Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine St., Doylestown, PA. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday noon – 5:00 pm. For more information, visit MichenerArtMuseum.org or call 215.340.9800.