Often referred to as the “father of modern sculpture,” Auguste Rodin stands alongside artists such as Michelangelo as one of the greatest sculptors in western artistic history. Inheriting a tradition of classical art dating back to the Renaissance, Rodin established his own standards for sculptural expression, propelling art in his home country of France forward and paving the way for the modernist movements of the 20th century. As an artist with an aesthetic and vision ahead of his time, Rodin concerned himself not only with the details and minute aspects of form, but with the release and expression of inner spirit and emotion as well. With an artistic reach extending beyond the practical elements and into the divine nature of art, Rodin’s celebrated artistic career has sought to encapsulate and exhibit the overwhelming capacity for philosophy and reasoning inherent in humanity.

Born in 1840 to an impoverished family in Paris, Rodin began his studies in painting at only 14 years old. Later forming an interest in the sculpted form, the artist studied decorative carving in Brussels, Belgium under the tutelage of established sculptors such as Kaliyebei Cornelius and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. It was during this time as an apprentice and assistant that Rodin began to develop his own design aesthetic, stemming from exposure to popular styles which recalled the works of Renaissance masters. In 1875, Rodin travelled to Italy to witness first-hand the works of the sculptors he most admired. Taking particular inspiration from the art of Michelangelo, Rodin adopted the striking realism which characterized his earlier works.

Exhibiting this arresting realistic aesthetic, in 1876 Rodin created The Age of Bronze, a sculpture depicting a youth following in the Renaissance style. When the work was initially displayed, however, Rodin’s hyperrealism in portraying the human form elicited accusations that the artist had used a life cast of his model as the base for his sculpture. Adamantly denying these allegations, Rodin sought to dispel the rumors, insisting that the work had been completed solely from careful observation and craftsmanship. In 1878, his Saint Jean the Baptist Preaching instigated similar controversy; by this time, however, Parisians had begun to take notice of Rodin, and such disputes over his workmanship only served to promote the artist.

Following this publicity, in 1880 Rodin was granted the commission to design a portal for the Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy and Ghiberti’s Gate of Paradise in Florence, Italy, Rodin began his design for The Gates of Hell, an immensely detailed project on which he would dedicate over 40 years, and never see realized within his lifetime. It was for this enterprise that Rodin crafted his most recognized sculptures, including The Thinker, and The Kiss. The distinction the artist received from these creations elevated Rodin to a prominent position within his own time, and secured his place as one of the most celebrated sculptors in the history of modern sculpture in Europe.

The current lot on offer, Galatée, was conceived in 1889 during the period in which Rodin was most active in constructing his design for The Gates of Hell. A rare example of Rodin’s mastery of the human form, only two bronze versions exist including the present lot, which is the second of the two bronze casts. The other edition is currently held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts in the United States. Cast in bronze following Rodin’s death, both proofs were produced by Parisian master craftsman, and Rodin’s favorite founder, Alexis Rudier.

Directly inspired by Rodin’s fondness for Greek mythology, Galatée or Galatea means “sleeping love” in Greek, recalling the romantic mythology of Pygmalion. A legendary sculptor, the Pygmalion of myth carved an exquisite statue resembling Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Instantly enamored with the female figure he had created, Pygmalion prayed at the altar of the goddess to bring this statue to life. Moved by his devotion and love, Aphrodite and Cupid granted Pygmalion’s wish. Upon kissing his beloved statue, the sculptor was stunned to find the marble turned to flesh, and his sculpture animated by the divine power of the Olympian gods.

Where Pygmalion was inspired by the beauty of Aphrodite, Rodin had his own muse—his student Camille Claudel. Attracted to her beauty, passion, and extraordinary artistic talent, Rodin soon fell in love with his young protégée. Influenced by Claudel’s soft femininity, Rodin’s style reflected this elegance from 1884 to 1896, when their affair reached its peak. During this time, Rodin produced two additional sculptures using Galatée as inspiration. The first, directly influenced by Claudel’s La Jeune fille à la Gerbe or Young Girl with a Sheaf, depicts Galatée reclining alone on a stone, and is now a fixture in the permanent collection of the Rodin Museum in Paris. The second, held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, features Pygmalion and Galatée as a pair of lovers, reflecting the personal amorous nature of the piece.

As a mark of this deeply intimate attachment to the sculpture and its inspiration, Galatée retains the impressions of the artist’s delicate touch, with the clear indentations left by Rodin’s own hands still visible. The graceful repose of the figure radiates a reserved modesty, establishing an embodiment of feminine beauty. Such poise and decorum serves as direct projection of Rodin’s personal emotional attachment to his subject.

According to the literature of Comité Rodin, this second edition of the bronze Galatée first originated from the Rodin Museum in Paris before being purchased in May 1921 by patron oil company magnate Maurice Fenaille. A well-known art collector and historian, Fenaille was also an established member of the Conseil de Musées Nationaux. Having accumulated a vast collection of works by Rodin, Fenaille also wrote numerous art historical critiques, and published catalogues detailing the 142 individual works created by Rodin from his Gates of Hell sketches and plans.

Collected by art lovers worldwide, and displayed internationally in cities such as Paris, London, and Chicago, Galatée has found its way back to the art market, presented in this singular lot.