RODIN, Auguste
(b. 1840, Paris, d. 1917, Meudon)

The Man with a Broken Nose

1863-64
Bronze, height 60 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Far from hindering Rodin from creating a striking artistic image, imperfection and asymmetry here make up its very foundation. The sculpture represents the face of a tramp known as Bibi. The sculptor was struck by his appearance and invited him to work as a model.

Later the hair redone in the manner of Greek philosophers, and the work was carved in marble and assumed the air of a Socrates with the impact of an antique bust. Its exhibition at the Salon of 1875 constituted Rodin's first real victory.




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