Mask of the Man with the Broken Nose
Signed right side of neck and on stamp inside: A. Rodin. Foundry mark back of neck to left: Alexis RUDIER / Fondeur. PARIS.
Auguste Rodin, French, 1840 - 1917. Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris, 1874 - 1952.
Geography:
Made in France, Europe
Date:
Modeled 1863-1864; cast 1925Medium:
BronzeDimensions:
10 1/4 x 6 7/8 x 9 3/4 inches (26 x 17.5 x 24.8 cm)Curatorial Department:
Rodin MuseumObject Location:
F1929-7-55Credit Line:
Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929
Made in France, Europe
Date:
Modeled 1863-1864; cast 1925Medium:
BronzeDimensions:
10 1/4 x 6 7/8 x 9 3/4 inches (26 x 17.5 x 24.8 cm)Curatorial Department:
Rodin MuseumObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:F1929-7-55Credit Line:
Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929
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Breaking with conventional notions of beauty, Rodin chose his model—a local workman named Bibi—for his clear-cut facial features and broken nose. The sculptor defended the roughness of this work as artistic beauty, investing the features with a dignity reminiscent of classical sculpture. Rodin considered Mask of the Man with the Broken Nose his first good piece of modeling and said it “determined all my future work.”
