Rodin_2011

22. Egypt (Egypte)

1900 – 08 Graphite, watercolor heightened with white gouache on wove paper 12 ¾ x 9 ½ inches ( 32 . 3 x 24 . 2 cm)

Signed lower right; titled in pencil lower left Inscribed in graphite at the bottom left: Egypte Signed at the bottom right: A. Rodin

provenance Sale, Sothebys, September 12 , 200 6; Private Collection

This very beautiful drawing of a partially nude woman seen from the front has the enigmatic annotation Egypte , which makes it part of a small series of “égyptisants” drawings by Rodin. At first glance, it is surprising that the figure faces the viewer less with a sense of feminine grace than with a splendid vigor. Her thick squared haircut is similar to a heavy Egyptian wig that forces her to tilt her head. She carries a sort of delicate light pink “voile” that covers all of her left arm and falls down to her feet. Another drawing inscribed Egypte (Paris, Rodin Museum, d4719 ), depicts a frontal view of a man with the head and feet in profile. The association of ideas with ancient Egyptian esthetic conventions (head in profile, frontal view of the body) seems obvious. Rodin also named a drawing Cléopatre (Paris, Rodin Museum, d5000 ) that shows the slim and pleasant silhouette of a standing woman holding her breasts, with a frontal view of her body and her head in profile. It became the subject of an engraving by Perrichon and was published during Rodin’s lifetime. Since the beginning of his career, Rodin was interested in Egyptian art and obtained the authorization to make drawings at the Louvre Museum. As soon as he had some money, Rodin became a collector of Egyptian, Greek, Oriental and Roman antiques. He owned about a hundred Egyptian bronze statuettes in varying states oxidation bought from Parisian dealers. For example, he studied the evolution of patinas of an Egyptian cat that he kept under glass, with its different green tonalities. Perhaps it is the beautiful tunic of this young woman executed here with green watercolor that suggested the nickname of Egypte .