Torso

myminifactory

The subsequent enlargement dramatically accentuates the curve of the arched back and the bust. The fin-like protuberances visible on the hips are all that remain of the hands from the original small figure. Rodin deliberately retained them as remnants of a previous state and his working method. These processes of fragmentation and enlargement, key aspects of the artist's modernity, showcase how skillfully Rodin maximized every potential of a sculpture piece and transformed our perception of it. Such an approach was a crucial part of the investigations carried out by the artist between 1890-95 into fragmenting and reducing forms to their essence. For Rodin, it wasn't about leaving a work unfinished or a figure incomplete but rather eliminating everything that wasn't strictly necessary to make its expressiveness more powerful. This no doubt explains why the torso became so influential in the 20th century.