Like some artists, Rodin was not an overnight success Essay Example For Students

Like some artists, Rodin was not an overnight success Essay Like some artists, Rodin was not an overnight success. Even though he was rejected numerous times from art schools because of his art style, he prevailed in the end. Rodin, like many artists, got their inspiration from other great and famous artists. In Rodins case, his inspiration came from Michelangelo. In Rodins more famous works, one can see the similarities between the two artists artwork. Rodins parents were not wealthy, therefore, he was not able to attend an art school of his choice. His father, however, did send him to Petite ÃÆ'†°cole, a training ground for commercial draftsman and practicienscutters and finishers of work in stone Hale 38. At the age of seventeen, Rodin won his first prize for a clay model and he came in second place for one of his drawings. His teachers at Petite ÃÆ'†°cole encouraged him to try for the Grande ÃÆ'†°cole des Beaux-Arts Hale 39. He applied, but was not accepted. Not giving up hope, Rodin applied two more times, but was rejected. Determined to make a living, he worked for a large commercial designer. It was there, that he created numerous objects with his hands; anything from masks of gods to cupids. This is where he began to see that he had a future in what he loved the most, art. Even though Rodin was an artist, his career did not take off so soon. When he was 22, his sister Maria died. He anguished so much over her death that he decided to leave his art. He quit everything and decided to enter the Order of the Fathers of the Very Holy Sacrament. While living in the monastery, Rodin confided in Father Eymard, and he was the one that told Rodin to continue sculpting and not to give up. Rodin eventually realized that religion was not his calling and once he had enough money saved up, he moved into his first studio. From that point on, he was fully committed to his artwork. Rodin said that it was so cold in his studio, he could not afford to have heat that he would wake up and see parts of his sculptures on the floor. Since I didnt have the money to have them cast, each day I lost precious time covering my clay with wet cloths. Despite that, at every turn I had accidents from the effects of the cold and heat. Entire sections detached themselvesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"heads, arms, knees, chunks of torso fell off; I found them in pieces on the tiles that covered the floor You could not believe what I lost in that way Hale 42. In 1864, Rodin created a masterpiece, something that would change his life forever. He created The Man with the Broken Nose, and with the new creation he said, It determined all my future work Hale 43. The new sculpture was not found to be worth anything after Rodin tried to enter it in the Salon. So, he took it back home and placed it in a corner for numerous years. One day, one of Rodins students saw the lonely bust and asked if he could borrow it to make copy. Rodin did not refuse and when the student, Jules Desbois took it to his classmates at the Grande ÃÆ'†°cole, they were astounded. All of Desboiss classmates stood around with amazement, all asking who created such an antique meaning that is was old, in a sense of not being used or displayed masterpiece. Desbois said, The man who made it, whose name is Rodin, failed three times to enter the school, and the work you take to be antique was refused by the Salon Hale 45. In 1866, Rose, his girlfriend, gave birth to a baby boy. He soon had a job with one of the best employers around, Carrier-Belleuse. There, he was a draftsman, molder, finisher and a caster. He eventually left because he had all the money that he claimed he needed. In 1870, he was called to serve in the National Guard, but was released because of his poor vision. By this time, there was no money and Rodin tried to call previous clients that could possibly want some decorating done. All ties were broken after he left the reputable company Carrier-Belleuse. After months without having any work, Rose left him and Rodin decided to join a partnership with another ex-employee of Carrier-Belleuse. Tim Storrier Biography EssayRodins Crouching Woman resembles many characteristics from Michelangelos Crouching Youth. The Crouching Woman, created between 1880-1882, looks as if she has eternal suffering. This is given away by the way her knees are bent, implying that she may be helpless, she wants to be pitied, or she is tired. Without the way the figure is positioned, from first impression, she looks like she is a tribal woman or a woman who works hard and is ready to give in. The tribal woman, uncontaminated by conventional sense of property but not necessarily virginal. Rodin may have been tempted for years to place a model in the pose of Michelangelos Crouching Youth Lampert 57-61. Lastly, squeezing of the breast suggests that she gave birth and is nursing a childLampert 205. The similarities between the two statues is easier to see than the differences. Both figures heads are tilted the same way. Both knees are bent and intertwined with her own arms; while one hand holds one foot. Both women have clear muscle definition, but the facial expression is just like the muscle definition, obvious that there are no emotions to show. Lastly, both sculptures are left in an un-sculptured stone for a base. Two of Rodins sculptures resemble many of Michelangelos pieces; Rodins Vase des Titans, resembles Michelangelos Igundi, Night and Day. The figures of the vase are positioned in the same way as well as posed in the same fashion. The man-like figures have the same muscle contortions that show a sense of muscle strain, just like the men in Michelangelos work. Rodin made a four seated Titans each measuring only 30cm, their back bent to support a jardiniere bowl. The poses are taken in essence from the contrapuntal figures of Michelangelos Igundi and his Night and Day Lampert 18. The sculpture of the Reclining Titans resembles the same works of Michelangelo, the Igundi, which is on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Both sets of men have a sexual appeal because of the way that their legs are together and then apart. Once again, Michelangelos work can be seen in Rodins Faun and Child. The Faun and Child was designed in December 1882, and is almost a replica of Michelangelos sketch of the prophet Jechonius. Both adult figures have their heads looking back, as if both guardian and child are in danger. Secondly, the guardian is holding the child with his/her left arm. Lastly, it seems as though the children are either reaching or looking at something that they yearn for. There is not much information about how Michelangelo influenced Rodins work of the Bibi bust; which soon was the head for The Man with the Broken Nose. Rodin seems to be haunted by the Michelangelo when he produced the bust of Bibi as a kind of allegory of the endurance of mankind Hale 43. Lastly, The Three Shadows is one that I find very interesting. One says: the influence of Michelangelo on Rodins Adam is clear enough: not only is the contortion familiar but so too is the gesture of the right hand with pointing finger. The Shade, a variation of Adam, is considerably more original: the left arm hangs clear of the body, the spine becomes a deep groove and the neck is bent so radically that it forms a straight line with the shoulder giving the subject more of the denatured presence of the Shades who appeared in the tiny drawings Lampert 205-206. as a very talented artist, sculptor, and thinker. He was able to make people see things the way that he saw them, and even though it was tough getting started, he prevailed and was able to live happily; considering what a hard life he had. Rodin died in November 1917 and his common-law wife, Rose, died in February of 1917. Rodin died with having completed over 400 sculptures and 7,000 drawings. Finally, two of Rodins most famou s pieces of work were finally shown in the Salon in 1878, The Man with the Broken Nose and the Age of Bronze.