The Hand of God 1898, Musée Rodin cast 11/12 in 1966 Bronze 12 ¾  x  11 ¼  x  11 ¾   in. Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collection Rodin often combined his sculptural sketches with other figures to create assemblages with highly symbolic content. One of these, The Hand of God, uses a hand to symbolize the creator of man and woman. The human figures may also evoke procreation, with the large hand as a protective element. In an issue of the Gazette des Beaux-Arts from 1898 Rodin was quoted as saying, "When God created the world, it is of modeling He must have thought first of all." This work thus reflects ideas about the creative powers of the artist, which can be seen as parallel to those of God.