The Hands of Rodin: A Tribute to B. Gerald Cantor

Dedicated to the memory of B. Gerald Cantor, The Hands of Rodin explored the artist’s fascination with the expressive capabilities of hands. It examined how he used hands both as independent sculptures and as well as, as parts of more complex pieces. The exhibition of approximately fifty works demonstrated Rodin’s mastery at portraying hands and communicating their strength and expressive potential.

When Rodin composed a new figure, he often experimented by attaching hands made for earlier pieces, exploring the possibilities the new combinations might reveal. This working method encouraged Rodin’s interest in the fragment. It inspired his exploration of the notion that figurative sculpture did not depend on a whole figure to communicate meaning. By carefully modeling their musculature, proportion, texture, and balance, Rodin demonstrated that hands could convey profound emotion, from anger and despair to compassion and tenderness.

Under the tutelage of Musée Rodin curator Cecile Goldscheider, Mr. Cantor came to appreciate Rodin’s fascination with the human hand.  Mr. Cantor’s first Rodin purchase was The Hand of God, a symbolic work in which the hand represents God the Creator of man and woman and at the same time references the artist also as a creator.  Cantor’s collection eventually included dozens of Rodin hands, added them to his collection throughout his lifetime.

This exhibition, curated by Rachael Blackburn who was then Executive Director of the Cantor Foundation, visited six sites: