Nijinsky

Auguste Rodin French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556

On May 29, 1912, Rodin attended the premiere of Vaslav Nijinsky’s modern ballet L’Après-midi d’un faune (Afternoon of a Faun), which scandalized Parisian audiences with its avant-garde choreography and sexually explicit content. The following morning, a front-page newspaper editorial signed by Rodin praised the "deliberately awkward" and "jerky" movement. Nijinsky posed for Rodin a few days later. The strong profile of this sculpted sketch pays tribute to his choreographic style, which mimicked Greek bas-relief sculpture.

Nijinsky, Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon), Bronze, marble base, French

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Nijinsky, Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon), Bronze, marble base, French
Nijinsky, Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon), Bronze, marble base, French

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