Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College has received three bronze pieces from one of the world’s most revered sculptors, Auguste Rodin, on display in the Hollis Gallery.
In the late nineteenth century, no sculptor captured the world’s imagination like Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Renowned for his ability to breathe into the bronze medium a sense of universal humanity and emotional truth like no artist before him, Rodin was celebrated in his own lifetime and continues to draw fans to this day. Even those who may not know the name “Rodin” know Rodin’s work; his timeless Thinker and his Gates of Hell are emblems of modern art history and underline how Rodin mastered the ability to convey movement and form with a touch and style uniquely his own.
Rodin’s sculptures first arrived at the Polk Museum of Art for a major exhibition in 2022, the largest showcase of sculptures in the Museum’s history. Now, fourteen of Rodin’s bronzes have returned as part of an exciting long-term agreement with the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. The loans coincide purposefully with the Museum’s 14,000-square-foot expansion, set to open in Fall 2024, with all fourteen sculptures eventually installed throughout the space of the Museum.
The Lakeland Museum has secured a multi-year partnership to display 14 bronzes by the French sculptor. 11 pieces will be installed in phases over the next year, leading to the opening of a major expansion in fall 2024.
The museum announced a partnership with the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation is considered the largest holder and lender of Rodin sculptures in the United States. The agreement allows the museum to display the sculptures through January 2026.