August Rodin: 1902 - Part I

"August Rodin, First Part" by Rainer Maria Rilke is a gripping depiction of the famed sculptor's early career. We are taken to Paris in December 1902 by Rilke's evocative prose, where we watch the difficulties and successes of a young artist making his place in the world of sculpture. In the ensuing chapters, we watch Rodin's art expand and mature as he explores new ideas and approaches. Biography In 1875, Rainer Maria Rilke was born in Prague. He had a nomadic life, going through Russia in 1899 and 1900 with Lou Andreas-Salome. He married the sculptress Claire Westhoff in 1901 and served as Auguste Rodin's private secretary in Paris in 1905/06, following which he traveled and stayed as a guest again (including at Duino Castle near Trieste in 1910). After 1918, he resided mostly in Switzerland, where he went into utter isolation in the "tower" of Muzot Castle near Sierre in the Valais in 1921. In 1926, Rainer Maria Rilke died in ValMont of leukemia.