Rodin's Collection of Egyptian Antiquities Comes to the US for the First Time

"Rodin was, in fact, a prodigious collector, amassing over 6,000 objects during his lifetime, 1,000 of which were Egyptian antiquities. This collection and its influence on his art is the subject of a new exhibition "Rodin's Egypt," which opens November 19 at NYU's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). The exhibition draws from 15 years of research by Bénédicte Garnier, a curator at the Musée Rodin in Paris who is guest curating the exhibition at ISAW."

""Rodin's Egypt" will feature some 65 objects, including selections from his collection as well as Rodin's own sculptures, including his rarely seen assemblages that combine his plaster casts with some of the antiquities he collected. The exhibition marks the first time that Rodin's Egyptian holdings will be exhibited in the US."

"ARTnews: How did you first get interested in researching Rodin's connections to Egypt? Bénédicte Garnier: Rodin was a great collector. He collected more than 6,000 items between 1890 and his death in 1917. He didn't collect only Egyptian art; he also collected Greek and Roman art and Asian and Middle Eastern art, as well as European art."

Auguste Rodin frequently looked to ancient art for inspiration, drawing on Greco-Roman and Egyptian sources in his sculptures. Rodin amassed more than 6,000 objects during his lifetime, roughly 1,000 of which were Egyptian antiquities. The exhibition "Rodin's Egypt" opens at NYU's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) on November 19 and runs through March 15, featuring about 65 objects. The show is based on fifteen years of research by Bénédicte Garnier of the Musée Rodin and is guest curated by her at ISAW. Exhibited works include selections from Rodin's collection, his sculptures, and rare assemblages combining plaster casts with antiquities. The presentation marks the first showing of Rodin's Egyptian holdings in the United States.

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