Ceres
Auguste Rodin
(French, 1840–1917)
1896
Object PlaceFrance
Medium/TechniqueStone; Marble
Dimensions66 x 44.45 x 34.93 cm (26 x 17 1/2 x 13 3/4 in.)
Credit LineGift of Major Henry Lee Higginson
Accession number06.1910
On View
Not on viewClassificationsSculpture
Collections
Ceres is one of seven sculptures (all but one named after Greek and Roman goddesses) inspired by Mariana Russell, the wife of Australian painter John P. Russell. Rodin modeled Mariana Russell's head in wax in 1888. The marbles were carved by professional artisans, but Rodin exerted strict control over their execution and sometimes provided the finishing touches. No specific attribute links this figure to Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture; the title appears to be a flattering reference to the model's classical beauty.
ProvenanceBy 1902, Major Henry Lee Higginson, Boston; 1906, gift of Higginson to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 26, 1906)
