Half Length Figure of a Woman (The Martyr)
Auguste Rodin
French, 1840–1917
Details
Title
Half Length Figure of a Woman (The Martyr)
Artist/Maker
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917)
Date
conceived ca. 1910; cast 1966
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
31 x 27 x 17 inches
Credit
Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
Accession #
2009.36
Location
Currently not on view
Half Length Figure of a Woman is a compelling example of Rodin’s experimentation with the human figure. In 1910 Rodin photographed this sculpture, but he had removed its head, neck, and shoulder. He had also placed a large wedge underneath the figure’s thighs, effectively arching the torso backward. Although Rodin eventually reattached a head to the sculpture, it is clear that he used this work to explore the dynamics of the human body almost to the point of abstraction.