French Sculptures

On View: West Building, Ground Floor

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171 artworks on view.

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Sculpted with rich brown wax, a young ballerina stands with her arms straight, hands clasped behind her back, and one foot in front of the other on a square wooden base. Her body is angled to our left in this photograph. Both feet are splayed outward, and her right foot is placed far in front of her left. Bangs cover her forehead, and she has a heart-shaped, upturned face with a squat nose and slightly pursed lips. Her heavy-lidded eyes are nearly closed and her hair is pulled back and tied with a wide, cream-white ribbon. She wears a fabric costume with a sleeveless, gold-colored bodice, a gray tulle skirt, and ballet slippers. Her body is sculpted from dark brown wax, and a layer of wax covers her hair, bodice, and ballet slippers.

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen

Edgar Degas

1878-1881

Pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon, cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base  Accession ID  1999.80.28

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G3
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This free-standing bronze sculpture shows a nude, muscular man sitting on a rock and resting his chin on the back of his right hand, with that elbow propped on his left knee. In this photograph, the man’s body is angled slightly to our left. He hunches a bit as his body twists so his right elbow, on our left, reaches the opposite knee. His other rests along his leg so the hand dangles beyond the knee. The man has short-cropped hair, a furrowed brow, an angular nose, and lines around his mouth and eyes. The foot on our right rests higher on the rock so that knee juts up a little higher than the other. The bronze has a greenish patina, especially noticeable along the top of the man’s head and shoulders and the front of his lower legs.

The Thinker (Le Penseur)

Auguste Rodin

model 1880, cast 1901

Bronze  Accession ID  1942.5.12

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G2
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This painting shows a woman from the chest up, with her head slightly turned to the right. She has fair skin, red lips, and brown hair in an updo. She wears a gray-blue dress with black buttons and holds a white object in her right hand, perhaps a handkerchief. The background is red, with a white panel on the left behind her head with a green arch featuring floral pattern, and a decorative object on the right that looks like a wooden stump on a box or shelf.

Madame Alexandre Kohler

Paul Gauguin

1887/1888

Oil on linen  Accession ID  1963.10.27

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G5
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This free-standing, ivory-white plaster sculpture shows a nude, muscular, young man standing with his right hand, to our left, raised to the top of his head. In this photograph, his body faces us but his head turns slightly to our left toward the raised hand. He stands on a square base with his feet together and his right knee, on our left, slightly bent. That arm is raised in front of him with the elbow bent back so his hand grasps his short hair. His eyes and full mouth are closed. His other arm is also bent at the elbow at his side so that hand is at shoulder level, his fist curled. His face and arms have areas of straw yellow and flecks of caramel brown, presumably where the sculpture has been handled or worn.

The Age of Bronze (L'Age d'Airain)

Auguste Rodin

model 1875-1876, cast 1898

Plaster  Accession ID  1991.183.1

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G3
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Cast in bronze, this free-standing sculpture shows a man with a gaunt face wearing a robe that falls in long, vertical folds as he holds an oversized skeleton key down in front of his thighs. In this photograph, the man’s body faces us but he turns his head to our left to look in that direction, his chin sightly raised. He has close-cropped hair, sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, a wide, square chin, and his thin lips are downturned. The long-sleeved robe drops heavily to his feet, and the toes of one bare foot peek out. A hint of a raised, round halter like a yoke around his neck shows from under his robe near his left shoulder, on our right. Most of the surface has a dark green patina except for a few lighter places, as on his sleeve to our left and in the thick drapes of his robe. A few areas are rubbed gold, including the tip of his nose and the knuckles of his hands.

A Burgher of Calais (Jean d'Aire)

Auguste Rodin

model 1884-1889, reduction cast probably 1895

Bronze  Accession ID  1942.5.13

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G2
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This stylized, free-standing, wood sculpture shows a seated man with horns, creating a column-like shape. The statue is carved from polished, reddish-brown wood. The column is divided into three sections for the head, torso, and legs. In this photograph, the man faces us. He has gold-colored eyes under arched brows, a wide nose, thin lips, and a square jaw. The horns rise from over his temples. In the middle section, he holds his hands in front of his chest, nearly touching as if in prayer. The bottom section shows his shins, knees together. His feet, which are roughly carved, turn outward. The base along the bottom is carved with words painted in gold, reading, “PERE PAILLARO.”

Père Paillard

Paul Gauguin

1902

Painted miro wood  Accession ID  1963.10.238

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G5
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A man and woman embrace and kiss while sitting on a rocky formation in this free-standing bronze sculpture. Both people are nude, and they turn toward each other. In this photograph, to our right, the slender woman reaches her left arm, closer to us, up to wrap around the man’s neck. Her left breast is silhouetted against the man’s muscular chest. The woman’s raised arm covers most of their faces but the man turns his head down to meet hers. The man rests his right hand, closer to us, on her hip and she hooks one leg over his. His knees are angled to our left and he turns his torso toward her. The woman’s left toes brush his foot, just below hers. They sit on a textured, rock-like form. The surface of sculpture has a golden-brown patina, which darkens where the bodies fold and crease. The artist’s name is stamped into the seat, just below the woman’s hip: “RODIN.”

The Kiss (Le Baiser)

Auguste Rodin

model 1880-1887, cast c. 1898/1902

Bronze  Accession ID  1942.5.15

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G2
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Head of Balzac

Auguste Rodin

model 1897, cast probably early 20th century

Bronze  Accession ID  1942.5.14

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G2
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The sculpture depicts a nude woman lying in a shallow, oval basin with bent legs, grabbing one of her feet in her hand while the other foot rests on the rim of the basin. The sculpture appears to be made from a dense, earth-toned material, with the figure of the woman displaying a dark brown color that gradually shifts to a deep reddish hue, highlighting the contours and details of her body. The basin is positioned on a flat, textured, grayish-brown base on top of a wooden platform.

The Tub

Edgar Degas

c. 1889

Pigmented beeswax, plastiline, plaster, lead, wood, cloth, cork, wire, on wooden base  Accession ID  1985.64.48

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G4
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This is a pair of wooden clogs. They are made of rich, medium-toned brown wood with a natural grain pattern and texture. The clogs are designed with a pointed toe that curves upward and a short heel. Each shoe features colorful carvings on the top, between the toe and the opening for a foot. The left shoe displays a scene with shapes that appear similar to a person bending forward, holding a red heart-shaped object and standing on a golden crescent. The right shoe shows two people standing next to each other, one facing the front and one in profile, both seeming to wear dresses. These carved shapes are rough, and the details are hard to discern.

Pair of Wooden Shoes (Sabots) [right]

Paul Gauguin

1889/1890

Polychromed oak, leather, and iron nails  Accession ID  1963.10.239.a

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G5
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This sculpture is of a person surrounded by a textured and uneven surface. It appears to show the head and torso of a person, but only their face is detailed. The top of their head is undefined and appears like the top of a mountain, as does their torso. The face emerges from a gap in this rocky texture, showing delicate features in a neutral position. The sculpture is a bluish-gray color, with some hints of pale green.

La France

Auguste Rodin

1904

Bronze  Accession ID  1942.5.9

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G3
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The sculpture features a pair of wooden clogs with engraved designs on the top. One clog has an engraving of a small animal and red berries, while the other displays two figures draped in black and red clothing. The clogs are crafted from wood with a brown color and polished surface. The design reflects a traditional style with slightly pointed toes and a sturdy, rounded structure. The carvings add artistic detail to the design, connecting traditional footwear to decorative art.

Pair of Wooden Shoes (Sabots) [left]

Paul Gauguin

1889/1890

Polychromed oak, leather, and iron nails  Accession ID  1963.10.239.b

On View: West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G5
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