Conceived circa 1885, cast in 1973
L’Homme Qui Tombe [The Falling Man]
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Height
58.5 cm
Inventory Number
Bronze with a rich dark green patination and brown highlights
Materials
Marks & Inscriptions
RCG0009
Signed A. Rodin. Numbered 3 of edition of 12. Inscribed © by Musée Rodin 1973 and Susse Fondeurs, Paris. Cast by the Susse Foundry for the Musée Rodin between 1972-1982.
Images
Conceived circa 1885, this example was cast in 1973. This work was never cast during Rodin’s lifetime. The Susse Foundry cast twelve bronzes for the Musée Rodin between 1972 and 1982.
The Falling Man was originally conceived to adorn the upper left door panel of The Gates of Hell and can be seen hanging from the lintel in the sculptor’s final conception of the great portal. Indeed, it is likely that Rodin added the work after he was informed that the gates would never have a practical use, as the positioning of the figure would have made it impossible to open the door.
As was often the case when Rodin removed models from The Gates of Hell, he makes no attempt to hide the traces of where the model would have initially been attached to the portal. Here, the ridges on the stomach reflect those made in the original plaster and would have originally provided the rough surface for the adhesive that adhered the work to the gates.
A variation of The Falling Man, where the figure’s feet are both on the floor (rather than with his right knee raised), was used in Rodin’s model of A Man With a Serpent. This same figure was also combined with The Crouching Woman to form the freestanding group I am Beautiful, although in this variation, the man’s arms are outstretched to hold the woman against his chest. The Falling Man’s torso and head were also used in the group Avarice and Lust, which features on The Gates of Hell in the lower-right section.
Openning Hours
10:00am – 6:00pm
Location
The Arkın Clock Tower - Arkın Group Headquarters
Conceived circa 1885, this example was cast in 1973. This work was never cast during Rodin’s lifetime. The Susse Foundry cast twelve bronzes for the Musée Rodin between 1972 and 1982.
The Falling Man was originally conceived to adorn the upper left door panel of The Gates of Hell and can be seen hanging from the lintel in the sculptor’s final conception of the great portal. Indeed, it is likely that Rodin added the work after he was informed that the gates would never have a practical use, as the positioning of the figure would have made it impossible to open the door.
As was often the case when Rodin removed models from The Gates of Hell, he makes no attempt to hide the traces of where the model would have initially been attached to the portal. Here, the ridges on the stomach reflect those made in the original plaster and would have originally provided the rough surface for the adhesive that adhered the work to the gates.
A variation of The Falling Man, where the figure’s feet are both on the floor (rather than with his right knee raised), was used in Rodin’s model of A Man With a Serpent. This same figure was also combined with The Crouching Woman to form the freestanding group I am Beautiful, although in this variation, the man’s arms are outstretched to hold the woman against his chest. The Falling Man’s torso and head were also used in the group Avarice and Lust, which features on The Gates of Hell in the lower-right section.
Images