The Lively Foundation
Their extraordinary collection of works by Auguste Rodin, the third largest Rodin collection in the world, is always a good reason to visit the Cantor Center at Stanford University. The current exhibition, Rodin and America: Influence and Adaptation, 1876-1936, makes that visit imperative and re-visits most inviting.
At the end of the 19th century, Rodin was one of the most famous artists. The exhibition of sculpture, photography, painting and dance demonstrates the profound influence Rodin’s vision had on American artists in many media. It is a large exhibition; there are 107 works by 42 different artists gathered from 44 different museums and private collections.
While some of the artists are well known, painter Georgia O’Keefe, sculptor Gaston Lachaise, photographer Edward Steichen, many outstanding artists whose work faded from public awareness are represented. The Hedgehog was both fascinated and saddened to see fine work that was quickly forgotten. Once Rodin had died, it was a very short time before abstraction replaced his interest in the human figure’s expressive power.
These works are sensual and evoke emotional response in the onlooker. There is a wide variety of approaches with range from exact representation to more impressionistic work.
The exhibition opened on Oct. 5 and closes on New Year’s Day. There are Docent Tours available Thursdays, 12:15 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
In addition to public lectures, students from San Francisco Ballet star Muriel Maffre’s class will dance at the exhibition. The audience is invited to sketch.
Admission to the Cantor Center for the Visual Arts is always free.
John Singer Sargent, Rodin Reading, 1902, Pen and wash in brown in(left). Auguste Rodin, Cambodian Dancer, 1911, colored collotype(right)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Rodin & America at Cantor Center for Visual Arts
