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Modeled c. 1885; cast 1925

The Clenched Hand

Auguste Rodin

French, 1840 - 1917

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Rodin almost obsessively explored the expressive power of hands, using them to convey an infinite variety of emotion—fury, anguish, fatigue—and as a metaphor for creation. It is thought that he conceived The Clenched Hand and The Left Hand as studies for The Burghers of Calais, but probably rejected the hands as being too animated.

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Auguste Rodin, The Clenched Hand, Modeled c. 1885; cast 1925 | Philadelphia Art Museum