ticketsMember | Make a donation

Portrait of Auguste Rodin

ca. 1900
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556
Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) was already world-famous at the time of this portrait, which is an especially touching act of homage by an exact contemporary. Victor Peter was much in demand as a finisher of other sculptor's marbles, including Rodin's, although he is better remembered as a maker of small portrait medallions and charming reliefs with animal subjects. A medallion of Rodin was among those Peter showed at the Exposition Universelle of 1900. Here his style is monumental as befitting his subject – the massive countenance filling the space, the beard indeed falling over the edge – but the carving is carried out with an ineffable tenderness.

This is the Museum's only European example in marble of a low-relief style, essentially adapted from the rilievo schiacciato of the Early Renaissance, as it was practiced around the turn of the century and notably in America by such artists as Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of Auguste Rodin
  • Artist: Victor Peter (French, Paris 1840–1918 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1900
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 11 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (29.8 x 24.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund, and Gift of Irwin Untermyer, by exchange, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.19
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Auguste Rodin, Victor Peter French, Plaster, poinsted with graphite and bearing pencil notations, French
Auguste Rodin
Victor Peter
cast after medal of 1887
Agathon Léonard, Victor Peter French, Bronze, French
Agathon Léonard
Victor Peter
ca. 1900
Leon Bonnat, Victor Peter French, Bronze, French
Leon Bonnat
Victor Peter
1913
A Pointer Bitch, Victor Peter French, Bronze, French
A Pointer Bitch
Victor Peter
ca. 1886
L'Age Heureux, Victor Peter French, Bronze, French
L'Age Heureux
Victor Peter
ca. 1900

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.