The Mighty Hand at The Musée Rodin, Paris

myminifactory

Rodin's work features hands that are small, autonomous, and alive, without being a part of any body. These hands reach out angrily and menacingly, with five spiky fingers that seem to howl like the five muzzles of Hell. Hands walk, sleep, and wake up, some being criminal hands with loaded histories, while others appear tired, curled up in a corner like sick animals. Rodin modeled an amazing number and variety of hands. Often very small, these hands piled up in his drawers, where he would use them for marcottage. Then he would enlarge them to incorporate into figures or create separate compositions such as The Hand of God, The Hand of the Devil, The Secret, and others. The Mighty Hand was created in both large and small formats. From its creation, The Mighty Hand, small version has held a particular position; it's the only hand that Rodin took out of the workshop to consider as a complete work of art in itself. He had several proofs cast, showing it in Geneva in 1896, Paris in 1900, and Prague in 1902, where it received extremely positive reviews. Additionally, Rodin allowed The Mighty Hand to be reproduced frequently in the press, increasing its visibility. It is his most widely distributed sculpture of a hand. During the Alma Exhibition in 1900, Rodin showed not only the plaster but also photographs taken by Eugène Druet. The thirty photographs showcased the bronze casting standing on a marble pedestal or emerging from white drapery. The different angles and perspectives presented in these photographs greatly multiplied the expressive capacities of The Mighty Hand, small version, suggesting new interpretations. Some viewers saw it as crouching under its covering like an evil beast, while others conveyed a mournful sense of pain. Menacing or in pain, the Mighty Hand, small version is endowed with intense expressivity, which is conveyed through powerful modeling and a composition that captures its extreme tension. Rodin's virtuosity rendered the force contained in this tension palpable. Through this emphasis, the hand is no longer perceived as simply a fragment of the body; rather, "Rodin has the power to give a single part of this vast surface the independence and plenitude of a whole." It remains difficult today to determine exactly how many bronze proofs of The Mighty Hand, small version were made. Two institutions have tried to answer the question based on archives. According to various records, the Rodin Committee estimates that around thirty examples were cast by several foundries between 1899 and 1901, both at Rodin's request and later at that of the Rodin Museum.