Cleveland Museum of Art

The Genius of the Sculptor

Auguste Rodin

Date

c. 1880–83

Medium

pen and brown ink

Culture

France, 19th century

Department

Drawings

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Auguste Rodin repeatedly explored the theme of creative male genius in major works, such as the famous Thinker , a cast of which sits outside the Cleveland Museum of Art on the south terrace. In this drawing, Rodin depicted the artist in active thought with his hand on his head, accompanied by a wingless “genius” floating above him. He derived this symbol of inner creative energy from the traditional subject of the winged muse, examples of which also appear on Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling as companions to God the Father. In other similar depictions of the theme seen in this drawing, Auguste Rodin depicted Genius as a woman.

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