The Cathedral
Rodin, Auguste
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Alternate file
Alternative Title
The Ark of the Covenant
Date
1908Description
Detail, showing voids in between arching hands; Carved in stone and still covered in toolmarks,The Cathedral is a combination of two right hands, belonging to two different figures. It was entitled The Ark of the Covenant, before being named The Cathedral, very probably after the publication of Rodin’s Les Cathédrales de France, in 1914. Parallels may be drawn between the mysterious inner space that seems to emanate from the composition and Gothic architecture. Emptiness was a factor that Rodin used to allow for, and, as Rilke pointed out, "the role of air had always been extremely important" for him (Rilke, 1928). Source: Musée Rodin [website]; http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/ (accessed 5/13/2014)
Type of Work
sculpture (visual work)Subject
hands, Twentieth century
Rights
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only