In line with new thinking around Rodin, this beautifully illustrated hardback exhibition book focuses specifically on the artist’s use of plaster, a material which was crucial to his process, but also demonstrates his interest in creating sculptures that are never finished, always becoming.

United by their whiteness, an array of fragile, experimental and unique pieces are explored in the catalogue alongside alternative aspects of some of Rodin’s signature works, and a selection of the artist’s drawings and watercolours – the fluidity and definitive form of which bear relation to the liquid surface of his sculptures. Including an exclusive contribution from sculptor Phyllida Barlow, newly commissioned texts will shed light on Rodin’s way of working, the importance of modelling, and the role of photography in his work. For the first time, Rodin is truly presented as the father of modern sculpture, with an influence that is indisputable and ongoing.

Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) was a radical sculptor whose unorthodox approach to multiplication, assemblage, industrial production and serial repetition challenged classical sculptural traditions and provided a definitive break in the history of art. Although he was best known for his bronze and marble sculptures, Rodin’s genius was as a modeller, who captured movement, emotion, light and volume in pliable materials such as clay and plaster. A stockpile of plaster body parts allowed him to experiment and explore infinite groupings and poses. Unlike his predecessors, his finished works include traces of their creation, challenging conventional conceptions of beauty.

‘It seems rare, a book discovered by chance, precious and somehow already aged and used – a find to be treasured. We are awakened to Rodin’s ever-surprising link between thought and touch: the allusive pale strength of plaster is trapped in page after page of powerful photographic documentation so potently archived in this intense, beautiful cardboard bound volume.’ – (Phyllida Barlow, acclaimed British sculptor)

‘This is Rodin for the twenty-first century: radical, innovative, unstoppable’ – Achim Borchardt-Hume, Director of Exhibition and Programmes, Tate Modern

Nabila Abdel Nabi is Curator of International Art at Tate Modern.

Achim Borchardt-Hume is Director of Exhibitions and Programmes at Tate Modern.