Monument to Honoré de Balzac, first modeled 1897, this cast 1967
Bronze
In his final version of his Balzac monument, Rodin has hidden his subject’s form under heavy robes, thus drawing attention to the writer’s face. Rodin tried out many different expressions; his goal was not to accurately portray a likeness of Balzac, but to instead capture the spirit of the author. Rodin exclaimed, “I think of his intense labor, of the difficulty of his life, of his incessant battles and of his great courage. I would express all that.”
Weighing 1,898 pounds, this monumental sculpture is by far the largest in the exhibition.
Gift of the B. Gerald Cantor Art Foundation, M.85.267
Visual Description: This is a bronze statue of a robed man, the French writer Honoré de Balzac, gazing into the distance. The statue stands at almost ten feet in height and is dark brown. Balzac stands straight and tall, his stout body hidden underneath his heavy robes. The left sleeve of his robe is empty, and it appears as though his arms are folded together underneath, wrapped around his torso. His hair comes to just above his lapels and he has a moustache. His head is turned to the right and Balzac stares off into the middle distance, as if in a reverie.
