Ugolino and His Sons
Artist: Auguste Rodin
Year Composed: 1881
Artistic Movement: Impressionism
Nationality: France
Floor Found in Château: Second Garden
Year Composed: 1881
Artistic Movement: Impressionism
Nationality: France
Floor Found in Château: Second Garden
About the Artwork
Similar to many other sculptures by Auguste Rodin, his Ugolino and His Sons was once part of his Gates of Hell doorway, which was inspired by The Divine Comedy, an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri. Ugolino della Gherardesca was an ancient politician who was arrested, along with his children, for betraying the city of Pisa. While in prison, Ugolino fought his children in order to survive, ultimately resulting to cannibalism and is normally seen eating his own fingers while his sons begged to be eaten, themselves. Dante placed Ugolino in the deepest of the Nine Circles of Hell, and the extreme torment and rage can be visually seen in this sculpture by Rodin.
About the Artist
François Auguste René Rodin, better known as Auguste Rodin, is known as one of the most famous French sculptors of all time. Most of his works contain themes of mythology, allegory, and nature, highlighting the human figure and body. The emotional appeal and contorting drama meshes the intricacy of Neoclassical sculptures with the drama and emotion of the Baroque. Rodin is one of the few sculptors known outside of the art world with modern society, especially with his sculptures that include The Shade (1881), The Kiss (1882), The Thinker (1880), and The Burghers of Calais (1889).
About the Movement
Ugolino and His Sons was composed in the Impressionist Age of art. Impressionism was characterized by extremely loose brushstrokes that were visible throughout the entire painting. This 19th-Century (or 1800s) art movement took landscapes, figures, and objects and incorporated both movement and emotion. Impressionism, in a matter of style, was almost the blending between Cubism and Baroque art; that dramatic and emotional appeal of the Baroque mixed with the inclusion of motion and the passing of time of Cubism. Some of the most famous Impressionist artists included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.
Location of Original Work of Art: Rodin Museum, Paris, France
Similar to many other sculptures by Auguste Rodin, his Ugolino and His Sons was once part of his Gates of Hell doorway, which was inspired by The Divine Comedy, an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri. Ugolino della Gherardesca was an ancient politician who was arrested, along with his children, for betraying the city of Pisa. While in prison, Ugolino fought his children in order to survive, ultimately resulting to cannibalism and is normally seen eating his own fingers while his sons begged to be eaten, themselves. Dante placed Ugolino in the deepest of the Nine Circles of Hell, and the extreme torment and rage can be visually seen in this sculpture by Rodin.
About the Artist
François Auguste René Rodin, better known as Auguste Rodin, is known as one of the most famous French sculptors of all time. Most of his works contain themes of mythology, allegory, and nature, highlighting the human figure and body. The emotional appeal and contorting drama meshes the intricacy of Neoclassical sculptures with the drama and emotion of the Baroque. Rodin is one of the few sculptors known outside of the art world with modern society, especially with his sculptures that include The Shade (1881), The Kiss (1882), The Thinker (1880), and The Burghers of Calais (1889).
About the Movement
Ugolino and His Sons was composed in the Impressionist Age of art. Impressionism was characterized by extremely loose brushstrokes that were visible throughout the entire painting. This 19th-Century (or 1800s) art movement took landscapes, figures, and objects and incorporated both movement and emotion. Impressionism, in a matter of style, was almost the blending between Cubism and Baroque art; that dramatic and emotional appeal of the Baroque mixed with the inclusion of motion and the passing of time of Cubism. Some of the most famous Impressionist artists included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.
Location of Original Work of Art: Rodin Museum, Paris, France