As the room fills up with class participants, Dr. Maria Gindhart queues up her presentation slides for the morning’s exploration of Auguste Rodin in conjunction with the High Museum of Art’s current exhibition, “Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern.” A class of life-long learners is joining her, eager to learn more context to help them appreciate the exhibit more fully.
This fall, Gindhart, associate professor of art history and associate dean of the College of the Arts, led a four-week course at the High entitled “Rodin: Myths, Methods, Monuments, Museums” to examine the sculptor Auguste Rodin, his oeuvre, and his artistic context and influence. Her sold-out sessions began in the education center lecture room and focused on the mythology surrounding Rodin’s work, his working methods and studio practice, his frequently unconventional monuments, and the museums dedicated to his work and memory.
Dr. Maria Gindhart delivers a workshop lecture at the High Museum.
“I have enjoyed collaborating with the High Museum to bring my area of research to a new audience,” said Dr. Gindhart of the partnership. “The High is a crucial anchor of the arts presence in Atlanta, and this class and others like it underscore their commitment to fostering a thriving arts community in the city.”
Class participants were enthusiastic and engaged, asking insightful questions to better supplement what they already knew and build new contextual knowledge for each subsequent encounter with Rodin’s works. One week, they learned to look for prominent seam lines in various works, an indicator that the artist intentionally included marks that remind the viewer of the maker and the mechanical process of making. Another, they incorporated knowledge of the contemporary era of “Statuemania,” a late 19th-century effort to enshrine French leaders, heroes and historical figures in bronze, into their understanding of which subjects Rodin sculpted and their reception by the public.
Le Penseur, Auguste Rodin
Each week’s class topic paid off in an additional trip through the exhibition to view the works with fresh eyes, in light of new information. Attendees used their time with Dr. Gindhart to the fullest, asking questions throughout the gallery space to get to know Rodin’s work in a more personal way. New layers of meaning shone through previous understanding, illuminated by Dr. Gindhart’s expertise in French art history, elevating the impact of the exhibit through scholarship and academic exploration.
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“Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern” is on display at The High Museum through January 15, 2023. The exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts.