Modeled c. 1892-1893; cast before 1917

Naked Balzac

French, 1840 - 1917

In 1892 Rodin began a series of nude portraits of Balzac. The artist often sculpted his figures in the nude before clothing them, a practice that allowed him to focus on the structure of the underlying forms. Only once the body met his satisfaction was Rodin able to contemplate dressing it for the final stage of work.