Artwork Page for Titans, Support for a Vase

Details / Information for Titans, Support for a Vase

Titans, Support for a Vase

c. 1877
figures modeled by
(French, 1840–1917)
designed by
(French, 1824–1887)
Measurements
Overall: 37.5 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm (14 3/4 x 15 x 15 in.)
Credit Line
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view

Description

During his lifetime and afterward, Auguste Rodin was viewed as the modern equivalent to Michelangelo. Rodin worked against the prevailing styles of his time and may have seen parallels between his own struggles and Michelangelo’s reputation in the 1800s as a suffering genius. In 1875 Rodin went to Italy to study Renaissance art, specifically works by Michelangelo. The twisting titans (giants) on this pedestal base are directly inspired by Michelangelo’s ignudi (male nudes) on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Rodin did not directly copy the poses but translated the energy and movement of the nudes into new, three-dimensional forms.
A glossy white earthenware sculpture depicts three muscular nude men, identified as Titans, crouching around a circular base. They twist and strain to support a wide bowl, clutching draped fabric that billows toward the vessel. One figure looks down while another gazes forward, his arm raised. The smooth glaze highlights their defined ribs and bulging muscles. The deep folds of cloth and tensed limbs emphasize the physical burden of their task.

Titans, Support for a Vase

c. 1877

Auguste Rodin, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

(French, 1840–1917), (French, 1824–1887)
France, made at Choisy le Roi, 19th century

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