Images of Gothic architecture in the graphics of Auguste Rodin
The graphic heritage of Auguste Rodin has been studied unevenly, his sketches and sketches of a nude model are devoted to an extensive body of research, while the architectural drawings of the sculptor are not fully covered in modern research literature. For O. Rodin, the Gothic temples of France became an occasion for discussions about the culture and history of the country, about man, harmony and the role of creative energy in the world, these are very individual experiences superimposed on the artistic understanding of the medieval style. The scattered remarks of the famous expert made up an anthology of the artist’s impressions and reflections on the medieval heritage of the native country. The 1914 edition included the author’s text and a series of graphic sketches reproduced with maximum accuracy corresponding to the technical capabilities of the beginning of the century. «French Cathedrals» can be considered as a variant of the artist’s book, where a bright expressive text, given in a conversational manner, is interspersed with light, lively, expressive sketch-like drawings that betray the atmosphere of Gothic churches, architectural details and a sense of the space of churches. O. Rodin’s creative method develops the techniques of the French Impressionists, the images of medieval architecture performed by the sculptor echo a series of views of the Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet. Expressive sketches created by the intense graphic rhythm of the stroke and the plastic almost sculptural line convey the overall impression of the facade and interior of the temple. O. Rodin created an innovative and traditional image, individual in the understanding of medieval heritage and universal, reflecting the history and culture of France, extremely modern (including from the point of view of the type of publication), but at the same time correlating with the established principle, the work of the Impressionists and the national tradition of understanding French history.