Figure Disrobing 1900 - 1910

This is "Figure Disrobing," a drawing made by Auguste Rodin, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s just pencil on paper – humble materials, but chosen to great effect. Rodin was primarily a sculptor, a maker of solid forms. In this drawing, he seems to be exploring that very skill, by using the pencil to define the outline of the figure, and creating a sense of volume with the minimum of means. The immediacy of the marks gives us insight into the artist’s creative process. You can almost see Rodin thinking as he draws. It might be easy to overlook a work like this, to see it as just a sketch. But in fact, drawing was at the core of Rodin’s practice. Through his drawings, Rodin challenged expectations of what is considered 'finished' art, elevating the status of process and experimentation.