Studio: international art (73.1918)

The Death of Rodin

for years in intimate association with Rodin, has more or less everywhere. Moreover, it is not
often told me of the immense joy he had in only the artists and the practitioners who have
watching the creator of the Bourgeois de Calais had their eyes opened by Rodin, but the public
and the Penseur at work, and has recalled the as well, the public which not so long since was
incredible skilfulness, the infinite delicacj', the almost completely indifferent to sculpture; and
astonishing power of in thus educating the
Rodin's hands, and the • public Rodin has rendered
finesse, the certainty, the yet another service to the
penetrative force of his dfeMJfcM)feM sculptors themselves. He
eye. He has described, M^B^L. restored to statuary all its
too, as closely as such - wjign lustre ; he made of it an
things can be described, W| art live and modern, in
the expressions and ges- ■ ^ j the loftiest sense of the
tures Rodin had while word, that is to say, an
he was engaged in model- art capable of expressing
ling, while imparting the —as he showed in his own
breath of life to the inert ^■■^■^■HkHu : productions—all the corn-
matter, the moist clay, plexities of the feeling of
by means of his thumb ' | the moment, and that
—and he would end : " I with such real depth and
do not believe there was enduring truth as by its
ever a man who under- example to reunite the
stood his trade more pro- links of all the great and
foundly than le fere strong traditions of an art
Rodin. No difficulty can that had almost fallen
stop him; with his ten into disuse,
fingers he can make just I shall be excused, I
what he pleases ; and WW hope, if I end these brief
there is nothing of which I I H and incomplete notes on
he is not capable." Is the great artist who has
not this testimony of passed away by sketching
high worth ? _JLf > H *n a ^ew str0^es P^"
I have no space in gV siognomy of this astound-
which to trace the dif- % tk flHji ing and rather mysterious
ferent stages of Rodin's man, whose defender—in
magnificent and glorious VHHV the days when he had
career, to undertake even aRlv^ need of defence — and
a very brief study of the jflj whose friend I had the
most significant of his honour to be. I can see
creations ; but I should %ti^% gj y him now as he was years

reproach myself if, now ^m^M^mm&SK^& ^ ag° ^

that he is just dead, I studio on the Boulevard

omitted to insist on the i d'ltalie, then at the Depot

beautiful, the generous, , des Marbres down there

' ° . L AGE D A1RAIN BY AUGUSTE RODtN , . , • ' ._

the fertile influence he , at the end of the Rue

exercised, not only in du Luxembourg , Photo J. B. Bullo.) de l'Universite, near the

France, but — one may Champ de Mars, and later

say it without fear of being taxed with exag- still in the fine rooms of the Hotel Biron, where,
geration—throughout the whole world. To let us hope, he will soon have his apotheosis in
proclaim this is but to do him justice, for to the opening of the Musee Rodin; and finally
his influence is incontestably due that renais- in the house in which he died, on the heights of
sance of the art of sculpture, so many and Meudon, whence the broad and stimulating
welcome signs of which are to be observed view opened unto the slopes of Ville d'Avray and

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