Cupid and Psyche 1905

Rodin made this marble sculpture, Cupid and Psyche, with hammer and chisel, and a whole lotta love. Look at the rough surface of the stone, then gaze upon the smoothness he achieves on their bodies. I imagine him thinking: how can I make something solid feel like a tender embrace? How can I carve passion? It’s like Rodin's saying: “I’m gonna take this heavy, cold thing, and carve away everything that isn’t love”. There is an amazing interplay of positive and negative space; the soft curves of their bodies are nestled into the hard edges of the stone. I can see the influence of Michelangelo in the dramatic poses and the way the figures seem to emerge from the marble itself, and I’m reminded too of Bernini’s virtuosity. Artists like Rodin inspire me to embrace the physicality of my medium and to approach my work with a sense of daring and experimentation. Making art is hard, loving is harder.