Ugolino and his Sons: Fifth Day (recto); Dante and Virgil: Anatomical Studies (verso)
Drawing was essential to Rodin’s process of translating episodes from Dante Alighieri’s medieval epic "Inferno" into visual form for his monumental commission "The Gates of Hell." The story of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca, a traitor who was imprisoned, condemned to starvation, and ultimately resorted to eating the flesh of his own sons, particularly captured Rodin’s imagination. His depiction emphasizes their agony by exposing the tense musculature in their tormented bodies.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ugolino and his Sons: Fifth Day (recto); Dante and Virgil: Anatomical Studies (verso)
- Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
- Date: ca. 1875–1880
- Medium: Pen and brown ink, graphite, and traces of brown ink wash on graph paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 6 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (15.6 x 9.6 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, 2012
- Object Number: 2012.222.2a, b
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
modeled probably before 1889, cast before 1912
Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
last quarter 19th–early 20th century
Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
20th century
Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
1882–85
Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
1882–85
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