Eternal Truths Cast in Bronze

Throughout his career, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) looked failure in the eye. Born into a poor family, Rodin applied to the École des Beaux-Arts—an essential stepping stone for aspiring artists in France in those days—three times and was rejected over and over. So he had to make his way on his own. His sculptures were often met with ridicule and rejection. Only in his late 30s did the Parisian’s work spark genuine interest—both positive and negative. His breakthrough sculpture, “The Age of Bronze” (1875), a full-scale standing male nude, was so lifelike that critics accused Rodin of making a cast directly from the model.