Nero 1900 - 1910

Auguste Rodin made this watercolor and graphite drawing called Nero, and I can just imagine him in his studio, maybe with some music on, trying to conjure a vision of ancient Rome. Look at the way the figure seems to emerge from the paper, lines searching and defining the form. It's like Rodin is thinking through the act of drawing itself, each stroke a question, a revision. And the colors! Earthy tones mingling with shadowy blacks, creating a sense of depth and mystery. I wonder what Rodin was thinking about as he made it. Was he thinking about the weight of history, the drama of power? There's something raw and immediate about this work, a sense of the artist's hand at play. It reminds me a little of Delacroix, that same intensity and passion. It's all part of this amazing conversation that artists have across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.