From paradise to the gates of hell: A discussion of the sculptor "Eve", a peice by Auguste Rodin
...te a shadow, keeping them hidden from the viewer. There is a large indent in the area of her navel as well as visible texture on her stomach which slightly protrudes. The indents in the area of her navel and upper thigh also create deep shadows. Not only did these dents create shadows, but they also helped to catch the subtle differences in light and reflect it of the piece. (“Rodin” n. page) Rodin displays the tumultuous emotion of Eve most greatly through the figure’s anatomy. Rodin uses a complicated pose which twists the figures body, giving a sense of tension, which ultimately reflects the figure’s anguish. (“Auguste” n. page) The figure half buries her head in her left arm, which comes across her body with the hand placed on the opposite shoulder, and twists her body away from the viewer; the other arm comes across her torso cradling her breast as well as keeping them hidden. Her right leg stands straight, while her left leg is bent, as if she had just taken a step, and rests on a stump. Her legs are extremely close together; her upper thighs tightly clenched leaving no gap between them. The only gaps between the figures two legs are a slight space between the lower thigh and knee, in addition to a space between the knee of the straight leg and lower calf of the bent leg. Rodin’s intense formal use of texture to create shadow and light greatly aids him in his thematic representation of the figure. The deep indentations under her arm, and the breasts which they concealed, create a shadow which establishes the sentiment of the breasts being forbidden, as they are not visible to the viewer. The v-shaped hollow, which runs from both hips and meets where the two thighs touch, also generates a deep shadow; thus, creating the illusion of the female body being forbidden. The indent near the naval area, as well as the roughness of the stomach, establishes a recession, creating shadow, which helps to make obvious the slight inward withdraw of the figure. These dents and bumps not only produce intense shadows, but reflect the distinctions of light. (“Rodin” n. page) The light is reflected off the smoother surfaces of the shoulders, upper arms, and fronts of the legs. This lightness not only creates highlights on the areas which they are reflected off of, but also helps to emphasize the darker, more shadowed areas. In his sculpture of Eve, Rodin displays inner emotion through muscular movement and the distribution of body weight. This complicated pose in which the body is very tense and contorted strongly displays the anguish in which the figure is suffering. Both arms cross the figure, concealing her breasts as well as her face; revealing her apparent shame with not only her body but herself. Her left arm is held against the side of her head, her hands face out pushing outwards on both sides. The figure’s arms hide her face and breasts; her hands push back the viewer as though she were shielding herself from ridic...