Saturday, February 28, 2009

Rodin and Salinger

The day after we visited Versailles, we went to the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin was a famous French sculptor.



His most well-known work is probably The Thinker. The sculpture is situated outside, a dome adorned in gold behind it.



Upon getting a closer look, you could see that it is truly a masterpiece. Portraying a man deep in thought, it is not hard to see why this figure is often used to symbolize and represent philosophy.



Inside the museum, there was more artwork to admire and appreciate. I especially loved the sculptures Rodin depicted of hands. I think the Rodin Museum was my favorite museum we visited. Its size and the scope of its collection wasn't entirely overwhelming or overpowering. Also, the majority of the pieces were sculptures, a refreshing change from the paintings we had been practically overloaded with at the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.



Next, we visited the workshop of Schlomo Salinger, a prominent sculptor and Holocaust survivor.



His experience in the Holocaust often acts as a catalyst for his artistic endeavors. Above is his depiction of his concentration camp.



He was truly an inspiration and we were so appreciative of him for letting us into his home and workshop. Before we left, he told us that he wished us a good life and asked that we make the best of it. He was a very nice man who seemed happy to have us visit. You'd think a famous artist like him would dislike having such an imposing crowd in the personal space where he lives and works, but that wasn't the case at all. I'm so glad we got to meet him and I will definitely take his words to heart.

1 comment:

  1. it must have been neat to meet the artist and see where he works and lives!

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