We are pleased to have on offer a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, L’Eternelle Idole, in our October 25-26th Fine Auction, Lot 75, with an estimate of $100,000 – $150,000.
Bronze with patine vert, inscribed ‘A. Rodin’ bottom right, ‘Georges Rudier Fondeur Paris’ lower left and ‘©Musée Rodin 1969’ on the back, with the ‘A. Rodin’ raised signature on the interior. 11 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
Note: Originally conceived by the artist in 1889 and cast in an edition of 12 in 1969.
The two figures in L’Eternelle Idole (The Eternal Idol) are from Rodin’s sculpture The Gates of Hell, which was commissioned in 1880 by the Directorate of Fine Arts in Paris. Rodin worked on The Gates of Hell on and off for thirty-seven years, after taking individual figures and reworking them into new sculptures, as here. The original bronze was commissioned in 1893 by Rodin’s friend, the painter Eugène Carrière. The version here is from the Musée Rodin’s edition of 12 cast in 1969.
For Rodin, the form was always more important than the subject. Representing the domination of women over men, Rodin chose to represent the male figure in a position of adoration towards the female figure. The composition itself accentuates the psychological theme: the long vertical line formed from the head of the woman to the feet of the man forces the male figure into a position of dependence on the female form. L’Eternelle Idole embodies the themes of strength and sensuality Rodin explored throughout his career.
Literature: Georges Grappe, Catalogue du Musèe Rodin, Paris, 1927, illustration of another example no. 204.
Provenance: Musée Rodin, Paris; William Norton and Co., New York; Private collection acquired from the above in 1970; sold Sotheby’s, NY, February 25, 1992, Lot 2.
Preview begins Friday, October 17th.