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Auguste Rodin

The Hand of God, designed ca. 1898; carving completed ca. 1917

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Auguste Rodin, 1840-1917, French

Title

The Hand of God

Year

designed ca. 1898; carving completed ca. 1917

Medium

Marble

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • marble

Dimensions

100.3 x 82.6 x 68 cm (39 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 26 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed, on base beneath thumb:A. Rodin

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

23.005

Projects & Publications

Publications

Teaching Notes / Artists' Ideas, Materials, and Process

Read Online

When the Stars Begin to Fall

The Studio Museum in Harlem

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Intermission

December 16, 2016 - July 2, 2017

The hand emerging from this block of rough-hewn marble represents the hand of God forming Adam and Eve. Its scale and energy contrast dramatically with the delicate bodies intertwined in a primal embrace, connecting Rodin’s interests in realism and symbolism. While evoking the act of a divine creator, Rodin also suggests his own identity as an artist and worker whose hand models life from stone.

One of three known marble versions, this work was purchased directly from Rodin by the Rhode Island industrialist and politician Samuel P. Colt and acquired by the Museum after Colt’s death.

Carvings, Casts, & Replicas

February 10 - April 23, 1995

European Painting and Sculpture, circa 1770-1937

October 18, 1991 - January 26, 1992

European Galleries

The hand emerging from this block of rough-hewn marble represents the hand of God forming Adam and Eve. Its scale and energy contrast dramatically with the delicate bodies intertwined in a primal embrace, connecting Rodin’s interests in realism and symbolism. While evoking the act of a divine creator, Rodin also suggested his own identity as an artist and worker whose hand modeled life from stone.

One of three known marble versions, this work was purchased directly from Rodin by the Rhode Island industrialist and politician Samuel P. Colt and acquired by the Museum after Colt’s death.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is The Hand of God with the accession number of 23.005. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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