Auguste Rodin’s fascination with the Cambodian dancers began in 1906, when the Royal Cambodian Ballet performed in Paris during an official visit of King Sisowath. The dancers, with their highly stylised, fluid movements and distinctive, almost sacred forms, captivated Rodin, who was deeply moved by their gestures and the combination of grace and ritual in their performances. Far from seeing them through a lens of sensuality, Rodin admired their physicality as a profound expression of art and form.
While sculpture, which had brought him fame in France and internationally, remained his primary medium,it was in his drawings that Rodin explored his newfound obsession with the dancers, whom he followed to Marseille, where they pursued their French tour. The intimacy of the connection he formed with the Cambodian dancers was deeply personal, and he sought to capture their essence in a way that went beyond mere representation. The encounter with the dancers marked a pivotal moment in Rodinʼs career,inspiring some of his final works.
In our drawing, the dancer is captured mid-motion, floating gracefully through the air. With hands rendered like delicate branches, she seems to glide effortlessly across the page. The small missing piece of paper in the upper left corner of our drawing reveals the artist’s habit of cutting a large sheet into four sections, each intended for a separate drawing.