The original Grande Torse de l’Homme was conceived in 1904, with this present work cast posthumously in 1970. In fact, this work was never cast during Rodin’s lifetime, with 13 casts made by the Georges Rudier foundry for the Musée Rodin between 1967 and 1981.

This example of Grande Torse de l’Homme derives from the figure of L’homme qui tombe, which hangs from the lintel on the left-hand door of The Gates of Hell. This work was produced in two distinct sizes in this truncated form, the first being this monumental version originally conceived in plaster also known as Torse d’Homme Louis XIV or Marsyas. Rodin first exhibited it in Dusseldorf in 1904.

Over the course of his life, Rodin became increasingly interested in the idea of paring down his sculptures to their bare essentials, often by removing limbs or the head. This approach was not only an attempt to uncover what he considered the very essence of the human form, but also driven by his admiration for the fragmented monuments of antiquity, such as the famous Torso of Belvedere, sculpted in the 1st century AD.

The sculptor was known for possessing more than 6,000 antiques, which he affectionately referred to as his “mutilated gods”, claiming that just because they were damaged did not mean they weren’t masterpieces.

This work is an astonishing example of these two inspiring forces pushing Rodin’s exploration of the male body. The detailed musculature, particularly across the arched back of the figure is a signature of Rodin evident across countless of his male figures. The tension seen in L’homme qui tombe hanging from The Gates of Hell is not only evident in this piece but accentuated by the concentrated focus on the stretched and taut torso. The thoughtful highlights in the bronze patina serve to further emphasise the strength and resilience throughout the figure’s torso.