The Tempest, The Terror-Stricken or The Marathon Runner

In 1886, the Galerie Georges Petit exhibited a marble sculpture of a woman “screaming in terror.” This work, identified as The Tempest, can be seen as a variation on the plaster half-bust The Cry, rendered in high relief.

The work depicts a head and shoulders emerging from the marble. The face, surrounded by a mass of flowing hair, is detailed with almost anatomical precision. This sculptural representation of a scream, based on close analysis of the model’s features, is reminiscent of the tête d’expression, an academic exercise used to train artists to capture a subject’s emotions.

Rodin made several sculptures illustrating the same theme: the Head of Sorrow (1903-1904), seeming to cry out in grief, is quite different from the open-mouthed expression of the Fish Woman (1917).

The artwork in the museum

Permanent collections – ground floor, Room 7

We cannot guarantee the presence of all our artworks; some may be out on loan.