[Auguste Rodin's The Clenched Hand] 1890 - 1898

This is a photograph by Eugène Druet, taken sometime in the early 20th century, documenting Auguste Rodin's sculpture, "The Clenched Hand." Druet was a key figure in promoting Rodin's work, capturing it through photography. The process of making a photograph is critical to understanding Druet's role. He used a camera to capture the texture, form, and emotional weight of Rodin's sculpture. It is through the interplay of light and shadow, the angle of the shot, and the darkroom processes that Druet was able to influence how audiences perceived Rodin's work. Druet’s photographs were instrumental in disseminating Rodin's sculptures to a broader audience. Photography democratized access to art, allowing people to experience Rodin's work without visiting a museum. By taking pictures, Druet blurred the line between documentation and interpretation, asserting the role of photography as a medium of artistic expression, and questioning the divisions between art and craft.