: Portrait of Auguste Rodin

Title: Portrait of Auguste Rodin (s. 7505)
Medium: Original Lithograph, in black and white, on Arches watermarked paper, circa 1900, signed with a signature stamp
Reference : “L’Oeuvre grave et lithographie: Catalogue Raisonee by Loys Delteil - number 49
Roger Marx - Number 25, Johnston Number 116, Michel Melot “Les Gravures des Impressionistes” Reference 51
Note: This was made by the artist modeled on a drawing. The sculptor Rodin was a famous personage in his day and this fine portrait shows well his luxuriant beard! Roger Paseron in the book “Impressionist prints” suggests that this was a late work made as late as 1915 based on a drawing which he had made of the sculptor about 15 years before. He tells the story that Rodin called on renoir who was now, alas, crippled with arthritis and, as he was being lifted from his wheelchair said to Vollard “I’m expecting Rodin and will have to impress his face thoroughly on my mind; he has already sat for me before… But Rodin has a very peculiar head”. Rodin duly arrived and renoir asked Vollard to prepare a sheet of paper for him on a plate, while he was being wheeled to his studio. The crayon had to be strapped to his hand. Rodin held the pose with perfect immobility, and, an hour later, his portrait was finished, so that he could leave “Les Collettes”, Renoir’s country house at Cagnes on the Riviera. There does exist a medallion, presumably in bronze, of this same subject.
Size: 654 X 500 mms
Edition: 200 plus some artists proofs
Published by: Ambroise Vollard, Paris, France
Printed by: Auguste Clot, Paris, France
Public Collections:
Bibliotheque National, Paris, France
Boston Public Library, usa
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
National Gallery of Art, Washington dc