H. de Roos - Towards a catalog of the Maclaren collection |
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Some Tangible Indications About Individual Plasters Dr David Schaff, who had the task of determining the authenticity of the plasters for the MacLaren Museum, gave his opinion on the age issue as follows: The Idyll of Ixelles is a unique (and very repaired) tinted plaster; the Feminine Torso is not catalogued, so we must be cautious with these two. The large Hand of God is definitely after Rodin, not made or authorized by him or by the Musee Rodin. On the other hand, every other image comes from an approved, documented model. As you know, some of the works are inscribed by Rodin; others clearly came from his studio or from his founders just after 1900. These include all the large and major forms, for which there is further evidence revealed in their recent conservation and in the casting histories. What is most important is that their are no refabrications (...), nor are there any enlargements (...). Some items may be later - the Eve with round Base at these dimensions was the model for numerous marbles but was not cast until the late 1950's - so it's possible that this plaster, but not the mold, dates from that time. The small dancers were not cast during Rodin's lifetime (only Dancer A was, in 1915), so these may be either items sent to Rudier for the Browse and Darby casting (1956?) or plasters made by Georges Rudier. The casting of the medium Age of Bronze by
Alexis Rudier continued into the twenties and beyond, so this item might
be marginally beyond Rodin's life even though the consignment of the form
to the foundry dates to ca. 1902, like all the other Ages of Bronze. For the first time, these were very tangible indications regarding the individual plaster casts.
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