France, 19th century / 1875–76
The Age of Bronze
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Age of Bronze as sculpture (France, 19th century · 1875–76).
The sculpture suggests the heroism and suffering of his countrymen during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. This life-sized male figure was modeled after a Belgium soldier named August Neyt.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as bronze and credits Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917).
The museum's collection notes: Rodin’s earliest surviving life-size sculpture, The Age of Bronze is an enigmatic and provocative image of a man awakening to new consciousness. The figure originally held a spear in one hand; by removing the weapon, Rodin stripped the sculpture of narrative symbols and focused on the sensuality and psychological power of the male nude. Contemporaries found the figure so realistic they falsely accused Rodin of making a cast from a living person. Museum trustee Ralph King commissioned this cast from the artist in 1916 with the intention of donating it to the museum. Rodin personally supervised the exceptionally fine casting and finished it wit
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Age of BronzeOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.