Awakening to a New Age

We can see the very beginnings of Rodin’s attention to energetic poses in his first major work, The Age of Bronze, which initially appears staged and static, but upon closer inspection is instead brimming with vitality and vigor. Completed in 1876 and exhibited at the Salon the year after, the figure in The Age of Bronze - referencing the third age of humanity as described by the Greek poet Hesiod (Masson, 19) - is in the classic academic pose of a man leaning on a staff - or, more precisely, Rodin’s unique adaptation of it. By removing the supporting prop of the staff in his sculpture, what was previously a formal and rigid pose could now be considered spirited, even lively. A dynamic aspect to the figure of the man is witnessed as the right knee bends forward, causing his hips to shift and the muscles in his legs to flex, while the torso twists to the side and the figure seemingly begins to lift his arms above himself. Most notably though, the forward jut of the torso from the hips lends a true sense of vitality and motion to the sculpture. Rodin commented on this very aspect of his work stating, “It is the leaning of the figure that makes it appear to the real observer as moving” (qtd. Elsen, 43). This indicates that even at such an early juncture in his career, Rodin had realized that a dynamic pose was essential in conveying the message he wanted to give, the impression he desired to make. It is no surprise then, that Rodin succeeded in clearly imparting his meaning. As biographer Paul Gsell commented in one of his conversations with Rodin, the figure in The Age of Bronze “seems to wake up, fill his lungs with air and raise his arms” (Rodin, 28). These words suggest that the figure’s pose successfully instilled an impression upon its viewers: one of a man stirring from a deep slumber, perhaps stretching out in the sun, readying to open his eyes and fully awaken. This ‘awakening’ was precisely Rodin’s goal with the figure and its pose, as he strove to capture the impression of the emergence of ancient man’s self-awareness, and its birth into a new age. (Elsen, 41) We can see then, that Rodin, even at this early stage in his career, was dedicated to giving his figures power and expression through their poses. In The Age of Bronze, Rodin began to hint at the potential energy and vigor of his ensuing works.