Hi Jimbo,
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a French artist/sculptor known for pieces such as ‘The Thinker,’ ‘Eternal Springtime’ and ‘The Gates of Hell.’ The painting above is a tribute to him. For me, he is and was a pioneer, expressing the feelings of human nature through distortion of the classical form. Thereby challenging contemporary attitudes and ideas.
This final A’ Level piece was inspired by ‘The Fallen Angel,’ who is held by a female and is, in the words of the V & A, evoking ‘the vain flight of our illusions’ -though I don’t necessaryly agree with this interpretation.
It is more about the outcomes of those illusions, how they are dealt with and whether there is more than the one angel, as portrayed.
The sculpture was later incorporated into a freeze, which was used in ‘The Gates of Hell,’ hence the title of the above work (all plagiarism I’m afraid).
Hope you enjoyed it and the chutzpah.
Regards,
Joe
