The Shade at The Musée Rodin, Paris

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In Rodin's iconic work, The Three Shades stand at the entrance of The Gates, their twisted forms pointing to an unmistakable message: "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here". The artist made numerous studies of these figures before deciding to create three identical statues that appear to be rotating around a central axis. He placed them atop The Gates, where they could gaze down at the viewer, and later enlarged them to form a monumental independent sculpture in 1904. The influence of Michelangelo's Adam is evident in The Three Shades' contorted pose, which Rodin borrowed and elevated to new heights. The angle at which their heads fall downward is so extreme that it creates an almost horizontal line with their necks and shoulders. This anatomical distortion allows Rodin to convey an unbridled expressive force that was unparalleled in his time. This sculpture is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, aimed at creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe. This open-source community effort invites everyone to contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com with their unique items to find out how they can help create this free public resource.