Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

St. John the Baptist

original model 1880, cast 1883
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
This early bronze betrays the raw physical and emotional intensity that set Rodin’s work apart from conventional sculpture of his era. The saint’s gouged eyes, sunken cheeks, and tousled locks convey the spiritual ferocity with which he announces Christ’s coming. A painted plaster version of the bust (which Rodin derived from his over-life-size, full-length figure Saint John the Baptist Preaching of 1878) was first exhibited as an independent work in the Paris Salon of 1879. Donated to The Met by Samuel P. Avery, a founding trustee, this was the first Rodin sculpture to enter the collection.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: St. John the Baptist
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Date: original model 1880, cast 1883
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: Overall (wt. confirmed): 21 3/8 × 15 3/4 × 11 in., 42.5 lb. (54.3 × 40 × 27.9 cm, 19.3 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Bronze
  • Credit Line: Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1893
  • Object Number: 93.11
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
The Walking Man (L'homme qui marche), Auguste Rodin French, Bronze, green patina, French
The Walking Man (L'homme qui marche)
Auguste Rodin
Founder Cast by Alexis Rudier
modeled before 1900, cast before 1914
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
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Auguste Rodin French, Bronze, French
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
Auguste Rodin
Founder Cast by Alexis Rudier
modeled ca. 1890, cast ca. 1910
Honoré de Balzac, Auguste Rodin French, Terracotta, French
Honoré de Balzac
Auguste Rodin
1891

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.