I made it to Musée Rodin!

http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/exhibition/capturing-model

After wanting to go for months, I finally found the time to visit the Rodin Museum and the extraordinary current exhibition- Capturing The Model, Rodin 300 Drawings 1890-1917. The drawing work Rodin completed of a live model was quite independent from his sculpture. In 1896 drawing became a serious carer for him and drawing nudes a daily practice. He was always eager to appraise drawing and in 1910 said "my drawings are the key to my work".

Within the exhibition, the drawings are divided, grouped into specific themes such as cutting out and assembling (collage style) and Dessin Instantané (Instantaneous Drawing) which involved drawing from a live model without letting his eyes look at his sheet of paper. In total, there are 15 groups shown which really demonstrates the diversity in his drawing a skill, which despite having mastered, still remains a relatively unknown talent of his. I am particularly fond of his earlier sketches which are heavily layered. Ink, washes, gouache, hachured pen lines and smudges. The combination of all this medium help build up an image, adding depth and tone to the model's skin and creating a body form. His continuous re-inventing of different techniques show his avid interest in pushing his practice further and experimenting.

The exhibition gave me a real feeling of wanting to start my life drawing classes in London again. But this time leaving my charcoal at home and instead taking inks and pens.

Aside from the exhibition, within the museum and in the beautiful gardens you can see some of Rodin's most celebrated sculptures such as The Thinker. It is a very relaxed atmosphere in which to view the work, almost like wondering around an elegant town house but nonetheless the work is undoubtedly incredible.