History of Modern Sculpture

Modern sculpture arose symbiotically with similar artistic trends in painting and drawing in Europe during the 1800s, lasting until around 1950. It is widely considered to have begun with the work of the French artist Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), who is the forefather of the movement. Rodin is credited with ushering in a new approach and subject matter to the creation of sculpture.

Rodin's work signified a departure from the traditional themes of mythology and allegory prevalent during his time, and instead modeled the human body with intense realism, celebrating the individual character, psychological states, and physicality of his subjects.  The Rodin exhibit at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle ("world's fair") is widely believed to be the precise beginning of the modern sculptural movement.

He is known for turning away from the idealized traditions of the Greeks and decorative beauty of the Baroque and Neo-Baroque movements, thereby departing with centuries of tradition. Sculptural movements that developed as a result of Modernism include:  Art Nouveau, Cubism, Geometric Abstraction, De Stijl, Suprematism, Constructivism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Futurism, Formalism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop-Art and Minimalism among others.

Fast forward approximately 100 years and the expressionist sculptures of JJ Porret are a dissension of the great Rodin. Visit his site to view a sampling of his modern sculpture creations.