Old Woman Standing with Folded Arms

modeled ca. 1885, cast before 1912
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800
A gift from Rodin to The Met in 1912, this plaster preserves the sculptor’s sensitive modeling of an aged woman’s body. The sobering realism of the figure recalls The Old Courtesan, a composition for The Gates of Hell sculpted after the same model, and evokes Rodin’s attitude that "what is commonly called ugliness in nature can in art become full of beauty."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Old Woman Standing with Folded Arms
  • Artist: Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon)
  • Date: modeled ca. 1885, cast before 1912
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Cast plaster
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 12 1/4 × 5 × 6 1/2 in. (31.1 × 12.7 × 16.5 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Auguste Rodin, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.12.1
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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