SLADMORE
Nic Fiddian-Green, Rodin and the Elgin Marbles Classical Inspiration
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Exhibition dates
26 April to 18 May 2018 “A visually inspiring comparison�
Rodin and the Elgin Marbles ‘No artist will ever surpass Pheidias . . . the greatest of sculptors, who appeared at the time when the entire human dream could be contained in the pediment of a temple – he will never be equalled’ RODIN
In 1881 Auguste Rodin travelled to London where he visited the British Museum and saw the Elgin Marbles. Tiny drawings which survive record this first visit. He returned a further 18 times, these visits becoming almost like a pilgrimage for Rodin as they not only inspired him from the start, but also continued to influence him throughout his career. From their installation in 1817 many artists have been inspired by the Elgin or Parthenon marbles. What was unusual in Rodin’s preoccupation was that rather than looking back to the Florentines like most of his contemporaries, he went back to the very beginning, to the Greeks, to Pheidias and the fifth century BC. Like many archaeological ruins, the Elgin marbles were fragmented, from weathering over the centuries. It is this fragmentation that most inspired Rodin, giving him the courage to create ‘finished
sculptures’ also missing limbs, sometimes even heads and in so doing he created his own language of sculpture. This in turn became a universal new language in modern sculpture, inspiring both his own contemporaries and subsequent generations. The success artistically and commercially of his new approach further inspired him to begin producing finished sculptures of the discarded elements and a preoccupation with hands resulted in over 200 different models – see exhibit * and *. All these different individual limbs and body parts were kept very carefully by Rodin who, by piecing several together would recreate new works, a technique he pioneered, subsequently referred to as ‘assemblage.’ Art’s influence on art is a fascinating concept, wonderfully born out here, with the greatest sculptor at of the turn of the 20th century, inspired by his equal working some 2500 years earlier. It is a pleasure for us here in Jermyn Street to have the opportunity to exhibit the work of Nic Fiddian-Green alongside Rodin, and we hope this juxtaposition will be enjoyed not just by fellow sculpture enthusiasts and collectors but also young sculptors of today. EDWARD HORSWELL, April 2018
Rodin in his Atelier, Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Relief of the Parthenon Frieze, c. 1811 Plaster, height 14 in, 34.5 cm
Nic Fiddian Green and the Elgin Marbles Nic Fiddian Green had his Elgin moment when in 1982 he visited the British Museum as a student and was transfixed by the Horse of Selene. It was the start of his sculptural journey and today he is one of the world’s most renowned and recognised sculptors. 100 years earlier, Auguste Rodin stood at the same spot in the museum and was equally inspired by these magnificent, powerful blocks of stone created
the same manner as Rodin’s marbles. It is perhaps a little unusual to see two such different artists from different centuries paired in one show. However, the synchronicity of their working methods and their shared inspiration from these ancient Greek masterpieces makes a fascinating study.
by Phidias in 440 BC.
themselves have spent time in the sculpture court at the British Museum. For myself, as a sculpture enthusiast, the British Museum and the Sainsbury Centre are unrivalled in this country, alongside the Musée Rodin in Europe. Leaving aside any discussion of the important issue of their rightful home, the Elgin marbles remain an inspiration to many. The British Museum’s current exhibition of works by Rodin and the influence of the Elgin marbles has set the scene for this exhibition.
In this, our current exhibition, we are delighted to show Nic’s very first Greek horse head and a selection of his other works inspired by antiquity. I visited Nic’s studio in the Surrey Hills many years ago and remember being amazed at the sight of him, like Hephaestus, the god of metalworking, wielding a chisel and hammer as he tackled a colossal piece of marble which was dwarfed by a 15-foot-high Trojan Head behind. The serene horse head seemed to grow organically out of the sea of marble, in much
I know that many of our Sladmore collectors will
GERRY FARRELL, April 2018
1. ‘Frère et Soeur’, 1890 –1891 Bronze, height 15½ in, 39 cm
2. Greek Fragment, 2018 Bronze, height 25 in, 64 cm
Palais Royal, Rodin Postcard from the period, Sladmore Gallery archive
3. Bust of Victor Hugo, circa 1885 Bronze, height 23 in, 59 cm
4. Greek Head, Monumental Lead, height 134 in, 340 cm
5. Jean d’Aire, 1895 Bronze, height 18½ in, 47 cm
6. Into the Distance Bronze, height 32 in, 81.5 cm
The Elgin Marbles Room at the British Museum, 1819 Art Collection 3 / Alamy Stock Photo
7. Main CrispÊe, droite, petit modèle, c. 1885 Bronze, height 5 in, 13.5 cm
8. Macquette for the Monument III Bronze, height 12 in, 30 cm
The Plasters Room at the Feuillants Villa, Hauts de Seine, Meudon, Hemis Alamy Stock Photo
9. The Kiss, 1886 Bronze, height 16 in, 40 cm
10. Greek Head Carrara marble, unique, height 23½ in, 60 cm
11. Balzac, Avant-dernière étude, 1897 Bronze, height 42½ in, 108 cm
12. The Journey Bronze, height of piece 6 in, 14 cm
13. Main Gauche Crispée, grand modèle, 1905 Bronze, height 18 in, 46 cm
14. Relief Fragment Lead, height 16 in, 42 cm
15. The Burghers of Calais, 1895–1903 Bronze, height on average, 16 in, 40 cm
16. Transcription from the Head of Selene 1 Lead, 7 in, 17.5 cm
17. Transcription from the Head of Selene 2 Bronze, 5½ in, 14 cm
18. Selene in Repose Bronze, height 13½ in, 34 cm
19. Trojan Fragment Lead, height 11½ in, 29 cm
20. In the Beginning Lead, height 9½ in, 24 cm
21. Greek Head, Monumental Copper, unique, height 134 in, 340 cm
22. Troy Bronze, height 23 in, 59 cm
23. Maquette for Monument I Lead, height 9½ in, 24 cm
24. Study for Fire Bronze, height 20 in, 51 cm
25. Maquette for Monument V Lead, 13½ in 34 cm
26. Horse Head Fragment Bronze, height 9½ in, 23.5 cm
27. Maquette for Monument IV Bronze, 13½ in, 34 cm
29. Greek Head Soapstone, 11½ in, 29 cm
28. Maquette for Monument II Bronze, 10½ in, 27 cm
30. Greek Head Charcoal, height 48 in, 122 cm
31. Study for Greek Head Drawing, height 33 in, 83 cm
All heights are total heights, i.e. including base. With credit and thanks to: Ken Adlard, Hugo Burnand, Richard Foster location photography, Chris Hall, The Burlington Magazine, the Sladmore team and to all those who have generously loaned to this exhibition. All works are subject to prior sale. Due to the ambiguities inherent in measuring three dimensional objects, the measurements given throughout this publication are primarily to provide the reader with a sense of each sculpture’s scale. They are not intended for reference in issues of authentication, etc.
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