François-Auguste-René Rodin was regarded by many in his lifetime as the successor of Michelangelo. His career spanned a epoch scarred by the Franco-Prussian War, Commune, fall of Napoleon III, and World War I. Despite civic calamity, he thrived with luminous contemporaries like Bonnard, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse, Hugo, Zola, Mirbeau, Proust, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Chabrier, Bizet, Lalo, Gounod, and Ofenbach. How these legends flourished in adversity is the great paradox of the period.
The age, celebrated by expositions and landmarks like the controversial 300m Eiffel tower, heralded innovation that broadened travel and extended publicity. Rodin was wise enough to leverage both to become an international celebrity. His century-old legacy remains fresh, vital and expressive: in many respects it's still unsurpassed.
This amply illustrated text explores Rodin's provenance, training, influences, bohemian lifestyle, amorous liaisons, travels, influences, works, altier production, contemporaries, publicity, and honors in a lucid narrative of a seminal artist and his age.
Highly recommended.
