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The Athlete

The Athlete is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin made in France between 1901 and 1904. It is cast in bronze with a black patina and measures 39.4 × 27.5 × 24.3 cm. Rodin worked with Samuel Stockton White III, a member of the Princeton and Cambridge gymnastics teams, as a model for the work. During this period, Rodin also conceived The Athlete American, which shows even more exaggerated muscles and the head turned to the right, and which he gave to the model as a token of thanks. Despite the many known versions of the work, it is considered one of Rodin’s lesser-known sculptures.

The Athlete, a dark metallic sculpture of a muscular seated man leaning forward on a rocky base.
The Athlete by Auguste Rodin, shown as a dark metallic sculpture of a seated muscular man.
March 2005 © Museo Soumaya · Public domain
Rodin\'s The Athlete shown in three-quarter view on a green marble pedestal.
Auguste Rodin\'s The Athlete displayed on a speckled green marble pedestal.
November 1899 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Athlete sculpture by Auguste Rodin displayed on a wooden pedestal with a plaque in front, surrounded by indoor plants and a glass atrium.
Auguste Rodin’s The Athlete displayed indoors on a wooden pedestal.
November 2019 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleThe Athlete

Creator

ArtistAuguste Rodin

Historical context

Version relationshipAnother version of this bronze
Date of creation1901–1904
Country of creationFrance
Date cast1959
Related workThe American Athlete
Related work dateconceived between 1901 and 1904
Date created1901-1904

Physical characteristics

Dimensions39.4 × 27.5 × 24.3 cm
Dimensions18 x 13 x 12 1/2 inches (45.7 x 33.0 x 31.7 cm)
Dimensions18 x 13 x 12 1/2 inches (45.7 x 33.0 x 31.7 cm)

Materials

MaterialBronze with black patina
Materialbronze

Other

Multiple variantsthe work exists in several variants
ModelSamuel Stockton White III
Model's affiliationMember of the gymnastics team of Princeton and Cambridge universities

Iconography and meaning

Stylistic/visual feature of related workgreater exaggeration in the muscles and the head turns to the right
Stylistic notemore exaggerated musculature appears in the related work The American Athlete
Comparison with related workThe American Athlete has its head turned to the right, while this version has its head turned to the left

History and restoration

Historical noteRodin presented both works to their model
Gift noteRodin gave the model the work as a token of gratitude

Significance

Relative prominenceconsidered one of Rodin's least widely distributed works compared with other sculptures by him
Notabilitya lesser-known work of Rodin

Discovery and provenance

Known versionsdespite numerous known versions of the work

Appearance

Head orientationturned to the left

Location and ownership

LocationThe Kreeger Museum, Washington D.C.