Crouching Woman

The crouching women was a bronze sculpture originally sculpted by Auguste Rodin in 1880 and finished in 1882. The original crouching women sculpture was later enlarged in 1907-1911 and finally casted in 1962. Currently, the original crouching women statue sculpted by Auguste Rodin is currently on display in the Hirshhorn Museum.

The sculpture is approximately 95.3 cm x 70.2 cm x 61.6 cm large. Many speculate that the sculpture was based off Adele Abruzzezi, Rodin's favorite female model at the time. Rodin first started sculpting female models in the early 1880s. Most of his work showed the distorted shape of the female body, definitely visible in the Crouching Women. The Crouching Women sculpture, as described in the name, is a sculpture of a naked women in a crouching position. In the sculpture, the women has her right arm across her body grabbing her right ankle. Her left arm rests on her left knee, and her head is pressed against her right knee.

The Crouching Women sculpture was based off the piece of art called the Gates of Hell, more specifically based off the figure on top of the work. THe name was based off the poem Je Suis Belle, a poem by Charles Baudelaire. The Crouching Women statue became a major success for Rodin. Rodin's friend, Octave Mirbeau, was a art collector at a the time. During Rodin's career, Octave Mirbeau supported his work from the beginning to the end. More importantly, Octave catalogued the Crouching Women piece praised the sculpture, bringing it its well deserved exposure.

As of now, many collectors praise the work. Many describe the piece as a beautiful display of a compact block with limbs gathered together and pressed tightly against the torso. The Crouching Woman sculpture beautifully represents Rodin's aesthetic and sculpturing style. Many artists continue to recreate, recast, and rework the Crouching Women with new materials and styles. Without a doubt, Rodin's Crouching Women is one of his most erotic works at the time. The piece of art was often nicknamed the frog, based off the disfigurement of the females pose. Conclusively, the Crouching Women will influence modern art forever.