
Auguste Rodin
Monument to Honore de Balzac, first modeled 1897; this cast 1967

In the collection of European Painting and Sculpture at LACMA.
Gift of the B. Gerald Cantor Art …

Known as one of the most gifted figurative sculptors in history, Auguste Rodin made such iconic works of art as The Kiss (1880-1881), The Thinker (1881-1882), and The Burghers of Calais (1884-1895). Using clay, plaster molds, and a meticulous process that included live models, Rodin created sculptures that were innovative in their attention to detail and unprecedented realism. Inspired by the female form and literature from Dante to Baudelaire, Rodin was particularly adept at conveying tension and emotion through subjects’ bodies and made a large collection of sculptures of men and women in amorous, sensual poses.


In the collection of European Painting and Sculpture at LACMA.
Gift of the B. Gerald Cantor Art Foundation (M.85.267)

Known as one of the most gifted figurative sculptors in history, Auguste Rodin made such iconic works of art as The Kiss (1880-1881), The Thinker (1881-1882), and The Burghers of Calais (1884-1895). Using clay, plaster molds, and a meticulous process that included live models, Rodin created sculptures that were innovative in their attention to detail and unprecedented realism. Inspired by the female form and literature from Dante to Baudelaire, Rodin was particularly adept at conveying tension and emotion through subjects’ bodies and made a large collection of sculptures of men and women in amorous, sensual poses.