Idyll of Ixelles (Idyll d'Ixelles)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
During his time in Belgium (1871–77), Rodin lived in the Brussels neighborhood of Ixelles. There he modeled this lively decorative group of a cherub and a young child. Its sentimental subject and delicate handling recall the eighteenth-century style that enjoyed a revival at that time.
Caption
Auguste Rodin French, 1840–1917. Idyll of Ixelles (Idyll d'Ixelles), 1883–1884, cast 1980. Bronze, 21 x 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (53.3 x 41.9 x 41.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Iris and B. Gerald Cantor, 84.77.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.77.4_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Idyll of Ixelles (Idyll d'Ixelles)
Date
1883–1884, cast 1980
Geography
Place made: France
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
21 x 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (53.3 x 41.9 x 41.9 cm)
Signatures
Lower edge, behind seated child: "A. Rodin"
Inscriptions
Lower edge, behind seated child: "No 1" Lower edge, behind seated child: "1881"
Markings
Base, behind standing child: "F*C" Base, behind standing child: "© by Musée Rodin 1980"
Credit Line
Gift of Iris and B. Gerald Cantor
Accession Number
84.77.4
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
This sculpture was made early in Rodin's career, while he was working in Belgium.You can see that the naturalism of the babies' bodies is very different from the expressive, exaggerated forms of Rodin's later work.What's the story with this?
The theme to this one is actually fairly simple. It is meant to show innocent happiness with a cherub and a young child hugging surrounded by flowers.This kind of lively, pleasant scene was popular in decoration in the 18th and 19th centuries. Essentially, the happy, innocent subject was fashionable!Thank you
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