Auguste Rodin

AUGUSTE RODIN (Paris, 1840–Meudon, 1917).
“Masque de Séverine,” conceived in 1893. Cast in 1966.
Patinated bronze. Copy No. 2 of an edition of 11 copies plus a proof No. 0.
Signed “A. Rodin” and numbered “No. 2.”
Foundry mark “Susse Fondeur Paris” and © BY MUSÉE RODIN 1966.
Reference bibliography: Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, *Rodin et le bronze. Catalogue des œuvres conservées au musée Rodin*, vol. II, Musée Rodin / Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, 2007, pp. 649–650 (another documented copy).
Measurements: 17 x 11 x 13 cm; 22 cm total height including the base.

This work is of particular interest as it is an original cast authorized by the Musée Rodin, produced by the historic Parisian foundry Susse based on the model conceived by Rodin in 1893. The edition is limited to eleven numbered copies and one proof (No. 0), the latter of which is held in the collections of the Musée Rodin itself. The museum, as the custodian of the rights and the original models bequeathed by the sculptor, continued—in accordance with Rodin’s wishes—to produce certain bronze casts, created under his supervision and in strictly limited editions.

The model depicts Caroline Rémy (1855–1929), known as Séverine, a prominent French journalist of the late 19th century. Rodin focuses attention on the face through a mask-like format that dispenses with accessory elements. In contrast to the relatively smooth rendering of the facial features, the hair is rendered with a more irregular and vibrant texture, revealing the sculptor’s interest in harmonizing facial definition with the traces of the modeling process. The result moves away from the academic portrait to offer an immediate presence, built through variations in the surface and its response to light.

Auguste Rodin was a pivotal figure in the renewal of Western sculpture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Works such as *Le Penseur*, *Les Bourgeois de Calais*, and the monument to Balzac transformed the modern conception of modeling, surface, and fragment. In 1900, he held a major retrospective exhibition at the Pavillon de l’Alma, coinciding with the Paris World’s Fair, which definitively cemented his international recognition; in 1912, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York opened a gallery dedicated to his work. In 1916, he bequeathed his works, models, and rights to the French government, which led to the creation of the Musée Rodin in Paris and Meudon, an institution that continues to safeguard his legacy.