Withdrawn and introspective she stands there: Eve, the mother of all life on earth. She buries her head in her arms in shame. Throughout his career, Rodin looked to nature as his model and always worked from life. For his Eve, the French sculptor chose a young woman who was pregnant. Rodin was unaware of this, but observed her closely and kept adding material until his model told him she was expecting a baby. Eve remained unfinished and Rodin spent many years with her in his studio. Eventually he decided to exhibit the figure and buried her feet in sand. As a modern sculpture, Eve encountered her audience on the same level and thus sparked a revolution in the art world.
1881
Bronze
174.0 x 55.0 x 64.0 cm
2813
Image © Belvedere, Vienna, 2024
Where you'll find this
Upper Belvedere
Permanent collection