Auguste RODIN (1840-1917) - Lot 56

Auguste RODIN (1840-1917) * Danaïde, small model, type III version Designed in 1885 Bronze proof executed between 1920 and 1925 Bronze with black shaded brown patina, signed "A. RODIN" on the front terrace, cast by Alexis Rudier, foundry mark "Alexis Rudier. / Fondeur. Paris" and inside stamp "A. Rodin" 22.4 x 37.4 x 26.1 cm. This sculpture draws its inspiration from Greek mythology. The daughters of King Danaos were condemned to fill a pierced barrel in the underworld after killing their husbands on their wedding night. While they are traditionally depicted endlessly filling the pierced vessel, Rodin chooses here the moment when despair overwhelms the danaid in the face of the absurdity of her futile task. Her hair, described as "liquid" by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, merges with the water escaping from her jar in a superb contrast of materials. The smoothness of her body binds painfully to the rocky base, while despondency shines through in the sumptuous curve of her neck and back. La danaïde was conceived in 1885, while Rodin was in the midst of creating La porte de l'enfer. Although it was intended for this project, it was not included in the final version of the work. This copy of Danaïde has been part of the Viscount Amédée de Flers collection since the 1930s. It is likely that he inherited it from his mother, wife of Viscount Adrien de Flers and daughter of the great collector and patron Comte Philippe Vitali. While Adrien de Flers was close to Rodin during his lifetime, Amédée de Flers, having inherited 1 rue Barbet de Jouy, perpetuated this link, as an immediate neighbor of the Musée Rodin, by adding to the family collection of numerous Rodin sculptures, drawings and watercolors until his death in 1948. The Flers are cited in several texts on Rodin's work as collectors over several generations. This Danaïde has remained in the collection of Amédée de Flers' heirs since his death by descent. The prestigious provenance of this Danaïde and its uninterrupted transmission from descendant to descendant make it a particularly exceptional example. This sculpture will be included in the Catalogue critique de l'Œuvre Sculpté d'Auguste Rodin, currently being prepared by Galerie Brame & Lorenceau under number 2015-4756B.