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The Walking Man (L'homme qui marche)

Founder Cast by Alexis Rudier French
modeled before 1900, cast before 1914
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
One of Rodin’s best-known compositions, The Walking Man introduced radical notions of sculptural truncation and assembly into the modern artistic canon. Composed of a fragmented torso attached to legs made for a different figure, the work is neither organically functional nor physically whole. The artist considered it finished because it captured the essence of movement. The collector Elizabeth Robinson commissioned this small-scale cast from the sculptor in Paris. A French inscription on the base reads: "To Madame Nelson Robinson of New York, M. Rodin, happy to see his work The Walking Man represented in her salon, presents his affectionate respects to her."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Walking Man (L'homme qui marche)
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Founder: Cast by Alexis Rudier (French)
  • Date: modeled before 1900, cast before 1914
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Bronze, green patina
  • Dimensions: Overall (wt. confirmed): 33 1/2 in., 63 lb. (85.1 cm, 28.6 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Bronze
  • Credit Line: Gift of Miss G. Louise Robinson, in memory of Mrs. Nelson Robinson, 1940
  • Object Number: 40.12.4
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
St. John the Baptist, Auguste Rodin French, Bronze, French
St. John the Baptist
Auguste Rodin
original model 1880, cast 1883
Adam, Auguste Rodin French, Bronze, French, Paris
Adam
Auguste Rodin
modeled 1880 or 1881, cast 1910
Ceramic Horn, Glazed pottery, French
Ceramic Horn
French
late 18th or early 19th century
Sprite, Donatello Italian, High-copper alloy, fire-gilt, brown natural patina where exposed, Italian, Florence
Sprite
Sculptor/metalsmith close to Donatello
1432
Honoré de Balzac, Auguste Rodin French, Terracotta, French
Honoré de Balzac
Auguste Rodin
1891

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