Man with the Broken Nose, Reduction (L'Homme au nez cassé, réduction)

Rodin constantly revisited and reconceive earlier compositions. This particular work is inspired by, but departs significantly from, the first versions of Man with the Broken Nose. The bronze appears molten, and the ears and eyes are only just beginning to emerge from the roiling surface, insinuating the processes of sculptural creation and fleshly decomposition. The bronze cast preserves the topography of Rodin’s clay model, rendering tangible the artist’s handling of the material—albeit at a remove—in a way that appears strikingly modern.