Rodin: A Biography

Book excerpt: Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was not only the world’s greatest sculptor, known for such works as The Thinker, The Kiss, The Hand of God, and dozens of others, but also one of the most remarkable personalities of modern times: an artist who outraged contemporaries with his disturbingly unfinished monuments; a sensualist who shocked France with his scandalous relationships (among others, with Camille Claudel); and a friend to the most gifted writers and artists of his day. “A consistently absorbing story... Mr. Grunfeld is primarily concerned with setting out — insofar as they can be separated from the art — the facts of the sculptor’s life, and within his chosen limits he has written a rewarding and illuminating book.” — John Gross, The New York Times “An excellent job... will undoubtedly serve as an excellent biography of the artist.” — Benedict Read, The New York Times “Rodin finally has a biography worthy of his achievements.” — Washington Post Book World “Grunfeld’s rigorously researched and gracefully written biography of Rodin is, by far, the best in its field.” — Robert Taylor, Boston Globe “Rodin’s creative life is vividly recaptured [by Grunfeld]... No previous biography has so clearly placed him amid his colleagues and assorted friends — Victor Hugo, George Bernard Shaw, Rainer Maria Rilke, Marie Curie, James McNeill Whistler, Robert Louis Stevenson, Isadora Duncan, and many others. Nor has any placed him in the raking light of his vanity, many amours (an epic in itself) and the sexual instincts inseparable from his work.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer “Grunfeld has rescued Rodin from the twin mythic images of heroic, possessed demigod or sex-obsessed bohemian... This remarkably intimate portrait should win awards.” — Publishers Weekly “Grunfeld's book shines out. It is an excellent general biography... seamlessly written and almost un-put-downable. He skilfully covers not only Rodin's personal history but also his work and the world he lived in.” — Benedict Read, The Spectator “A vibrant biography of the great French sculptor... With all the naturalistic detail of Zola and the color of canvases by Monet, Grunfeld chronicles Rodin’s rocky career... That this exhaustive book is never dull is something of a feat... Grunfeld’s Rodin, modeled in high relief against his place and time, emerges not so much a statuary monument as a three-dimensional man.” — Kirkus Review “Well researched... A marvelous roster of personalities, politicians, writers, and artists of the time pass through the pages of the book, placing Rodin in the mainstream of the cultural life of the Third Republic.” — Gerald M. Ackerman, Los Angeles Times