While anchoring his practice in the traditions of antiquity and the Renaissance, Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) paved the way for modern sculpture. From a very early stage, he was interested in movement, the expression of the body, chance effects, and the incomplete fragment. It was these elements that gave shape, and the impression of life, to such famous works as The Kiss and The Thinker.

Produced in collaboration with the Musée Rodin, this essential introduction examines the key works of Auguste Rodin, pioneering French sculptor behind The Kiss and The Thinker. With rich illustration and insightful texts, we explore the artist’s material processes of modeling and assemblage and his leading ideas of movement, bodily expression, and chance effects.