Artwork
Rear View of Female Figure in Action
Rear View of Female Figure in Action is a graphite drawing by Auguste Rodin. It dates from 1904 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Rear View of Female Figure in Action is a 1904 drawing by Auguste Rodin, a pioneering French sculptor. Created with watercolor over graphite on wove paper, it showcases Rodin's experimental approach to capturing the human form in motion.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a woman from behind, caught in mid-movement with one arm raised and the other bent. The fluid lines and loose rendering convey a sense of dynamism and naturalism, diverging from traditional representations of the figure.
Technique & Style
Rodin employed a combination of graphite and watercolor to achieve a delicate, sketchy effect. The watercolor washes add subtle pink and brown tones to the lightly shaded graphite, while the texture of the paper remains visible in places, contributing to the work's spontaneous feel.
Artist & collection
Artist
François Auguste René Rodin (; French: ; 12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture.
