Auguste Rodin’s iconic sculpture The Kiss (Le Baiser) captures the essence of tragic love through its sensuous depiction of lovers before their demise. Created in the late 19th century, the piece stands as one of Rodin's most recognized works, with many replicas crafted during and after the artist's lifetime. A rare bronze version, signed by Rodin and cast in 1904, is scheduled for auction, representing a unique opportunity for collectors. This piece not only exemplifies Rodin’s mastery but is also steeped in romantic history, originally commissioned as a wedding gift.
Rodin had initially intended to include the ill-fated lovers in his massive bronze doors, The Gates of Hell, commissioned in 1879 by the French government for a new Paris museum.
Auctioneering expert Raphael Courant admitted he was surprised to discover what he described as a very beautiful work, very sensual in the living room of a family apartment in western France.
The bronze, estimated at about 500,000, was cast in France in July 1904 and presented to Merignac two months later in Buenos Aires.
By then, Rodin was the most influential international sculptor of the age, with dozens of versions of The Kiss made before his death.
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