The Prodigal Son, Large Model (L'Enfant prodigue, grand modèle)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
This figure appears several times in The Gates of Hell, and the head also reappears, both alone (see Head of Sorrow, nearby) and attached to other bodies. Its precarious pose and distorted physiognomy conjure a variety of moods, from despondency and helplessness to yearning and supplication. Like many of the writhing bodies and anguished faces created for The Gates of Hell, this figure’s extreme pose—interpreted as a depiction of internal suffering—may derive in part from Rodin’s knowledge of medical illustrations of the convulsions and contortions characteristic of the condition then known as hysteria.
This work has been exhibited under other titles but is commonly called The Prodigal Son, after the biblical parable in which the younger son of a rich man squanders his fortune, suffers deprivation, and ultimately realizes his foolishness and returns to beg his father’s forgiveness.
Caption
Auguste Rodin French, 1840–1917. The Prodigal Son, Large Model (L'Enfant prodigue, grand modèle), late 1880s, cast 1969. Bronze, 54 3/8 x 35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in., 218 lb. (138.1 x 90.2 x 73 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, 84.75.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 84.75.4_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
The Prodigal Son, Large Model (L'Enfant prodigue, grand modèle)
Date
late 1880s, cast 1969
Geography
Place made: France
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
54 3/8 x 35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in., 218 lb. (138.1 x 90.2 x 73 cm)
Signatures
Top of base, in front of proper left foot: "A. Rodin"
Markings
Back, base, lower edge: ".Georges.Rudier./Fondeur. Paris." Back, base, lower edge: "© by Musée Rodin 1969"
Credit Line
Gift of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
Accession Number
84.75.4
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
How did Rodin make these sculptures?
Rodin used the "sand casting" method. He would have created his intended form in clay, then built a mould around it using a mixture of special sand, salt, and a binding agent. When the mould was ready, he would remove the clay from the center and then pour liquid bronze into the mould. Unlike other bronze casting techniques available at the time, sand casting allows for the creation of multiples.Why do you have so many Rodin sculptures?
We received many of the Rodin works currently on view as a gift from the Cantor Foundation in 1980s. The Cantor Foundation is interested creating opportunities to further explore the works of Rodin and his contemporaries.Are the Rodin pieces all casts? Are they one of a kind?
That's a very common question as things easily get very murky when it comes to bronze casting. The majority of Rodin's sculptures in bronze are not one of a kind because they are made from a mold which can be and was reused.Rodin made the models out of clay or other malleable material. The molds were created from these models. The final works are the bronze casts that come from these molds.Rodin never set a limit on the number of casts that could be made from his molds. In fact, all but one of the works in this exhibition were cast after his death. In 1981, the French government began to pass laws about how many casts could be made and even who could own them.I'm glad that I'm not alone in asking that question! That all makes sense and now that I watched the film about how a bronze cast is made. It's quite the labor intensive process!What inspired this?
The Prodigal Son refers to a biblical parable in which the younger son of a rich man squanders his father’s fortune, suffers deprivation, and ultimately realizes his foolishness and begs his father’s forgiveness. Rodin said about this work, "I have accentuated the swelling of the muscles that express distress...I have exaggerated the distance of the tendons that reveal the outburst of prayer."Were biblical themes important to Rodin?The Bible was central to his major project "The Gates of Hell"—and this was a work related to that project!Wow cool, thank you. The figures certainly seem to express inner human imperfection.Rodin is showing us the Prodigal Son at his lowest moment. He has lost all his wealth, but he hasn't been reunited with his family and forgiven by his father yet. We might know how the story will end...but he doesn't!Was this left un-cast until 1969. If so where was it and why?
Well, as you may have noticed the label names this as 9th in an edition of 12. The original clay model and plaster cast were made by Rodin in the late 1880s this bronze sculpture wasn't cast until 1969. The models and casts were considered part of his estate and gifted to the French government, later becoming the responsibility of the Musee Rodin in France.Most of the sculptures in this exhibition were cast after Rodin's death. The right to continue to cast his work is overseen by Musee Rodin, which limits multiple casts of the same work to 12. 1–8 are available for public purchase, while 9-12 are reserved for cultural institutions.I'm just surprised that the museum waited 50+ years to make the casts.That is just the date for this ninth cast of only one work. The other eight would have been cast before. Also, think of all the other Rodin works that could've been cast in the interim. He left such a vast body of work behind!I didn't realize that all 12 were not cast at one time.The law, passed in 1981, was applied retroactively and the number of casts made at once seems to be at the discretion of the Musee Rodin.For site specific works are there multiples?
Yes! Although many of Rodin’s sculptures were commissioned to be monuments for specific places, multiples of his work were cast after Rodin's death. This sculpture was initially created for The Gates of Hell, which was a commission for the doors of a Paris museum. The museum was never built and the commission was cancelled but Rodin continued to work on the project for the rest of his life.
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