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Glaucus

European Art

Rodin formed this group as a new, independent sculpture by pairing the figure of an old, bearded man originally created for The Gates of Hell with the kind of lithe female figure that appears frequently in his work. The likely source for this grouping is Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which tells the story of Glaucus, a fisherman who was transformed into a sea god and fell in love with the beautiful nymph Scylla. Characteristically, Rodin did not attempt a precise illustration of the myth, probably intending the title to be thematically evocative.
MEDIUM Bronze
  • Place Made: France
  • DATES before 1891, cast 1972
    DIMENSIONS 7 7/8 × 6 1/8 × 4 7/8 in., 5.5 lb. (20 × 15.6 × 12.4 cm, 2.49kg)  (show scale)
    MARKINGS Foundry mark, back lower edge: ".Georges Rudier./.Fondeur. Paris." Copyright mark, proper left side, lower edge: "© by Musée Rodin 1972"
    SIGNATURE Back, base: "A. Rodin" Interior, raised stamp: "A. Rodin"
    COLLECTIONS European Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 84.75.5
    CREDIT LINE Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917). Glaucus, before 1891, cast 1972. Bronze, 7 7/8 × 6 1/8 × 4 7/8 in., 5.5 lb. (20 × 15.6 × 12.4 cm, 2.49kg). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, 84.75.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.75.5_front_PS2.jpg)
    EDITION Edition: 1/12
    IMAGE front, 84.75.5_front_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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