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TWO VERSIONS OF RODIN'S THE KISS
In both of these versions, one in marble and the other in bronze,
reflect Rodin's mastery of dramatic gesture, especially through the
placement of the hands of the male figure, one lying gently against the
foundation stone behind the woman and the other tenderly caressing her hip.
Of course, the figures are nude and the kiss itself symbolizes the joining
of two human beings in sexual pleasure and intimacy. Intended to be only
one of a number of groups composing the never-finished Gates of Hell
series, Rodin's marble representation of The Kiss (1886-1898, over life-
size) the figures of the two tightly- embraced lovers have been modeled to
a smoothness that suggests the supple and soft surfaces and texture of
living flesh. This is most evident in the smoothness of the legs, the arms
and the torsos of the two lovers. One can also see the rippling of the
flesh as if it was real human tissue.
As to the other version of The Kiss, the content is made quite
different through the use of bronze instead of marble. First of all, upon
closer inspection, one can see the patina, a greenish, oxidized layer that
accumulates on bronze and copper over long periods of time, which gives the
piece a sense of great age; secondly, the darkness of the bronze provides a
feeling of superiority and grandeur far more than the marble version. The
features on the bronze version do not seem to be carved but suggest
indefinite surfaces which alter significantly through the effects of light
and shadow; the flesh itself appears to be blurred and smudged and the
contours of the arms, legs and torsos almost appear to melt away like wax.
Overall, the marble version expresses a feeling of calmness and subtlety,
while the bronze version expresses a feeling of power and dominance, an
almost overwhelming Expressionistic effect so prevalent in Rodin's other
masterpieces.
The bronze cools and the plaster mold is broken. The sculpture is cleaned, ground and welded to blend the surface texture. Finally, the bronze sculpture is treated with chemicals and heat to give it color or "patina" when it reacts with the air (Hatcher 72-74). Now one can easily see all the creativity, time and resources that went into this sculpture. How different from Rodin's sculpture is this second piece
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