Studieblad met twee vrouwen die hun hemd uittrekken

About this artwork

Aankoop uit het F.G. Waller-Fonds

Art Historical Context

This delicate brush drawing by Auguste Rodin captures a fleeting moment of two women removing their shirts, rendered with fluid, economical strokes on a modest sheet measuring 320 by 212 millimeters. Created sometime during the artist’s lifetime (1850–1917), the work exemplifies Rodin’s lifelong fascination with the human figure in motion. Although best known for his monumental sculptures, Rodin frequently turned to quick studies on paper to explore anatomy, gesture, and the play of light and shadow—qualities that later informed his celebrated bronze and marble forms. The medium of brush allows for both bold contour lines and subtle tonal washes, giving the figures a sense of immediacy and vitality typical of Rodin’s graphic output. Such studies served as private explorations rather than finished exhibition pieces, revealing the sculptor’s constant search for expressive poses drawn from everyday life. Acquired for the collection through the F.G. Waller Fund, this sheet offers visitors an intimate glimpse into the working methods of one of the most influential artists of the modern era.

About the Artist

Auguste Rodin · 1840–1917

François Auguste René Rodin (1840-1917) stands as the founder of modern sculpture, transforming the art form from academic tradition into expressive modernism. Born into a working-class Parisian family, Rodin faced early rejection, failing three times to gain admission to the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. This setback forced him to work as a craftsman for nearly two decades, though his 1875 tr...