Garden

Adam • Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) represents the figure of the artist par excellence, the champion of modern sculpture who revolutionised it against all odds. In 1881, Rodin was commissioned to create large figures of Adam and Eve to join The Gates of Hell. For Adam, Rodin undoubtedly used an existing work, since he was able to exhibit it at the 1881 Salon under the title "The Creation of Man."Both the title and the pose of this monumental figure explicitly reveal the influence of Michelangelo's works, especially the famous Adam painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512).

His highly developed musculature, which suggests great physical power, contrasts with his pose, which evokes a suffering or constrained being. Pointing to the ground, Rodin's Adam seems to insist on his earthly belonging.