Rodin Sculpting 1900

Eugene Carriere rendered this lithograph, titled "Rodin Sculpting," capturing the artist in a moment of creation. The most striking element is Rodin's hands, powerful and prominent. They're reminiscent of the Hand of God, a motif present in religious art across centuries, symbolizing divine intervention. Consider Michelangelo's “Creation of Adam” where God's hand reaches out to impart life. Carriere presents Rodin’s hands as the vessel through which art—a form of life—is brought into being. The dark, almost dreamlike, atmosphere evokes a sense of the subconscious. Just as in dreams, images and symbols are not always what they seem, but rather carriers of deeper, often hidden, meanings. This interplay between shadow and light emphasizes the mysterious creative process, highlighting the artist's inner world. The act of sculpting becomes a dialogue with the past, a reawakening of cultural memory.