Rodin_2011

28. Female Cambodian Dancer (Danseuse Cambodgien)

190 6– 07 Graphite and watercolor on wove paper 12 ¼ x 9 inches ( 31 . 8 x 24 . 4 cm)  Signed at the bottom right: A. Rodin

provenance Collection Louis-Eugène Fabre; Collection Alfred Vallotton, Paris; Collection Lionel Prejger, Paris; Jan Krugier Gallery, Geneva; sale, Tajan, Paris, June 11, 2007 ; Private Collection. literature C. Judrin, ed., Rodin. Dessins et aquarelles des collections suisses et du Musée Rodin , Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, 1994 , p. 124 .

exhibition Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, 1994 .

Rodin was introduced to the dances of the Far East by Javanese female dancers during the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889 , where he made some drawings. But Javanese dancers never fascinated Rodin as much as the Royal Khmer Ballet that arrived following King Sisowath in Marseille, France in 190 6. After a performance in Paris, at the Pré-Catelan, where people rushed to see them, Rodin obtained the permission to make portraits of the king and his entourage, as well as to make life-casts of the arms of one of the female dancers. However, Rodin was unable to satisfy his curiosity in such a short time regarding the mysterious gestures of these tiny female dancers, whose movements he compared to the perfection of that of Ancient Greeks. So Rodin decided to follow the retinue back to Marseilles. There he was granted permission to continue his work at the residence Villa des Glycines. The result was 150 drawings, which Rodin continued to work on even back in Paris, particularly by adding color. Claude Judrin, former head curator in charge of the drawings at the Rodin Museum included this Cambodian Dancer in the catalogue of her exhibition Drawings and Watercolors from the Swiss and Rodin Museum collections at the Pierre Gianadda Foundation in 1994 . The drawing seems to be another version of the beautiful gray wash drawing Cambodian Dancer in the collection of the Rodin Museum ( d4429 ): “We included two similar styled Cambodians in the same pose but with different colors. It is possible that Rodin in his rush to draw the female dancers postponed the wash of the drawing.” 1

1 . C. Judrin “La danse cambodgienne,” excat, Rodin. Dessins et aquarelles des collections suisses et du Musée Rodin , Martigny, Pierre Gianadda Foundation, 1994 , p. 124 .