Rodin According To Rilke

A Defining Encounter Between Two Artists

In 1902, Rainer Maria Rilke, a young, relatively unknown German-language poet, was commissioned to write a monograph on Auguste Rodin, who was then at the height of his fame. This encounter marked the beginning of an extraordinary relationship that would last nearly ten years.

Fascinated by the artist and his work, Rilke immersed himself in the sculptor’s world, from the Villa des Brillants in Meudon to the Hôtel Biron in Paris. Through their conversations, collaborations and occasional misunderstandings, a relationship developed, shaped by admiration and artistic inspiration. Through his contact with Rodin, Rilke learned to see differently, to observe forms and to capture the essence of things. This experience profoundly transformed his writing, while his texts offered a unique perspective on the sculptor’s work and creative process.
 

A Poetic Journey Through Rodin’s Work

Through six thematic sections, the exhibition explores this fruitful relationship and invites visitors to rediscover Rodin’s masterpieces in the light of Rilke’s writings. Sculptures, drawings and photographs enter into dialogue with the poet’s texts, while manuscripts, books and archival documents reveal the richness of their exchanges.

From “Indolent Forms That Wait” to “Hands Have a History”, the exhibition explores the themes that run through their works: the body, movement, the face, the creative gesture and the expressive power of matter. The poet’s words guide visitors’ gaze, revealing a new way of experiencing the sculptures, their presence and their inner life.

The exhibition concludes with the famous injunction “You must change your life”, which resonates as the legacy of this defining encounter. Rodin According to Rilke thus invites visitors to discover how, beyond their respective disciplines, two artists enriched each other’s artistic vision and transformed their approaches to creation.

CURATORSHIP

Véronique Mattiussi, Head of Research, Archives, Library and Documentation at the Musée Rodin.

An exhibition by the Musée Rodin, organised in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Gianadda.

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