Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) - Lot 72

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) Head of Hanako, type A Model created in 1907, our proof cast in 1962 Bronze with dark brown patina shaded with green Signed "A. Rodin Bears the founder's mark "Georges Rudier Fondeur Paris". Inscribed "© by Musée Rodin 1962". H. 17.5 cm, on a cubic base in black Belgian marble H. 9 cm In July 1906, during the Marseille Colonial Exhibition, Auguste Rodin attended a performance of La Revanche de la Geïsha, starring the Japanese actress Ohta Hisa (1868- 1945), nicknamed Hanako. Impressed by Hanako's performance in the final scene, in which the character she plays dies, Rodin confides: "Her figure became motionless, as if petrified, but her eyes continued to live intensely [...] eyes wide open, she stared at the death that had just overtaken her". Wishing to transcribe this expression in clay, Rodin had the actress pose in autumn 1906, as she testified in an interview in 1925. Unsatisfied with these initial sessions, the sculptor called his model back in January 1907. Fascinated, Rodin continued to study the actress' face and expressions for two years. Our bronze corresponds to type A, the first state modeled in 1907. The frowning eyebrows, pronounced squint and half-open mouth express the agony of the play's last dramatic scene. Rodin presented Loïe Fuller, the intermediary between Rodin and Hanako, with an autographed plaster proof from which several bronzes were cast by the Fulda foundry. From 1920 onwards, Alexis Rudier continued the edition, and the last ten proofs with neck variations were cast by Georges Rudier between 1956 and 1962 from a plaster dedicated to John Marshall. Our beautiful proof was cast in 1962. Other bronze examples: -Auguste Rodin, Tête de Hanako, type A, 1907, cast circa 1913, bronze, signed "A. Rodin", inscribed "A l'admirable et. / géniale artiste / Loïe Fuller", H. 17.5 x W. 12.2 x D. 14 cm, Paris, Musée Rodin, inv. S.00565 ; -Auguste Rodin, Masque d'Hanako, 1907, cast circa 1918-1925, bronze, signed "A. Rodin", inscribed "Alexis RUDIER / Fondeur. PARIS", H. 17.2 x W. 11.7 x D. 11.7 cm, Cambridge, Harvard art museum, inv. 1943.1149 ; Auguste Rodin, Hanako, ca. 1907, gilt bronze, H. 16.5 x W. 12.3 x D. 13.9 cm, San Francisco, Fine art museums, inv. 1941.34.7 ; -Auguste Rodin, Hanako (type A), circa 1907, bronze, signed "A. Rodin", inscribed "Alexis Rudier fondeur Paris", H. 17 x W. 13 x D. 14 cm, Tokyo, National Museum of Western Art, inv. S.1959-26 ; -Auguste Rodin, Masque d'Hanako, black patinated bronze, signed "A. Rodin", H. 18 x W. 12 x D. 11 cm, Aix-les-Bains, Musée Faure, ins. S223 ; -Auguste Rodin, Head of Hanako, type A, bronze, signed "A. Rodin", inscribed "Alexis Rudier/ Fondeur Paris" and marked "A. Rodin" inside, Stanford, Cantor Art Center, inv. 1972.178 Related literature: -Dominique Viéville, Rodin: la fabrique du portrait, cat. exp. Paris, Musée Rodin, 10 avril- 2 " aôut 2009, Paris, Skira Flammarion, 2009 ; -Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, Les bronzes de Rodin, catalog des œuvres au musée Rodin, Paris, Musée rodin, RMN, 2007, vol. 2, pp. 403-408 -Dominique Viéville, Rodin: le rêve japonais, cat. exp. exhibition, Paris, Musée national Rodin, May 6-September 9, 2007, Paris, Flammarion, 2007, pp. 125-194; -Brygida Ochaim, Julia Wallner, Auguste Rodin und Madame Hanako, cat. exp. Berlin, Georg Kolbe museum, June 9-September 18, 2016, Cologne, Wienand Verlag, 2016, pp.100-103;