OKCMOA Brings One of the Most Celebrated French Sculptors of the Modern Age to the Southern Plains

Oklahoma City, Okla. (November 17, 2022) – The Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) is excited to announce its Summer 2023 exhibition, True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The exhibition seeks to reframe the French artist, Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), and his sculpture, and is drawn from LACMA’s permanent collection – the largest museum in the western United States.  

 

“Rodin was truly innovative and worked differently than sculptors who came before him. Rodin’s dramatic approaches to the human figure were best known to the public through his large, bronze statues. Additionally, the exhibition contextualizes Rodin within the work of his peers and addresses perceptions about the artist and his significance in art history,” said OKCMOA CEO and President Dr. Michael Anderson.  

 

Approximately 100 objects will be on view, including rarely seen 19th-century European sculptures and paintings created by Impressionist painters and sculptors with whom Rodin worked and exhibited throughout his career. Notable artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cézanne are featured in this exhibition. True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism is curated by Dr. Leah Lehmbeck, LACMA Curator and Department Head, European Paintings and Sculpture and American Art, and coordinated by OKCMOA curator Dr. Bryn Schockmel.  

 

“I’m very excited to bring Rodin to our area because when most people think of historical sculptures, they envision the more traditional Greco-Roman style that’s created out of white marble and appears smooth. However, Rodin was different. As an artist, he leaned into movement and emotion, and produced raw and rough sculptures. He pioneered a new idea of naturalism, representing things closer to the way we see them,” said Schockmel.  

 

There will be about 60 works by Rodin on view, with sculptures ranging in size from a hand measuring five inches in length to a figure who stands almost 10 feet tall and weighs 1,900 pounds. True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism will be on display on the third floor, where the Kiarostami: Beyond the Frame exhibition is currently located.  

 

“One of the many reasons we reimaged and reinstalled the Chihuly collection on the first-floor gallery was to allow the Museum to accept larger exhibitions, such as True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism. I applaud our team for having the foresight to think long-term, and paving the way for an exciting future here at the Museum. We look forward to bringing more exhibitions that draw a regional audience to Oklahoma City,” said Anderson.  

 

True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism will open on Saturday, June 17, 2023 and close Sunday, October 22, 2023. This exhibition is presented by Inasmuch Foundation. Programming, such as lectures, in-gallery conversations, and events focused on young adults and families will complement the exhibition throughout the four months it is at OKCMOA. 

 

Before True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism, OKCMOA opens two Spring 2023 exhibitions, Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice and Art and Activism at Tougaloo College, from February 18, 2023, through May 14, 2023. To find the Museum’s full schedule, please visit www.okcmoa.com/current-exhibitions.