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Rodin’s Symbolist Aesthetic
Rodin was criticized for rejecting the controlled classicism of academic art. Instead, he applies a symbolist aesthetic that expresses inner emotion through the distortion of ideal human proportions and form. He was inspired by the Impressionist portrayal of reflected light and creates a rough surface texture to reflect light, which he described as expressing the soul of the artwork.
Select a sculpture by Rodin from the Rodin Museum Collections Rodin Museum : The Collection. Identify the title, date and medium. Include a link or jpeg illustration. Explain the theme and subject matter of the artwork. Discuss the style in terms of the visual elements: scale, proportion, line, shape, focal point, balance, etc. Respond to two peers by making connections between the artwork you selected and a different artwork selected by a peer. Identify the common stylistic characteristics or differences that you observe.
Include the following aspects in the discussion:
Explain how Rodin is inspired by Impressionism
Explain the symbolic content of the work
Explain how Rodin rejects the academic classical ideal or responds to it