What is art if not an opportunity to explore themes best advanced in black metal? The above is part of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor’s expansive Rodin collection. I’m not particularly moved by this type of sculpture, in general, so what I’m looking for is historical context or subject matter when I view this kind of object. So they’ve suckered me in with this particularly elegant severed head.
Maybe I’m a cruel and base conceptualist, too used to a novelty oriented art world to know better, but I think this piece really isn’t complete until someone goes and has the good sense to fill that attractive basin with either blood or water. Given that he’s John the Baptist, either would be appropriate. I don’t know, but as it is, it kind of looks a lot like John’s poor head has fallen into a rather fancy ashtray.
I think I prefer my severed head art on canvas. I suppose here we’re supposed to look closely at the sculpture, seeing the way Rodin has captured the silent peach of John’s death, with his face all smooth and soft lines, but that’s not the John I grew up with – it’s too far away, and being Jewish, I’m not in possession of the Christian charity that my mind would need to carry the distance between myself and this piece. It’s beautiful, elegant, and far too quiet for me to appreciate fully. I like my mythology & history (what’s the difference, really?) all filled with tension and cartoonish gore.
Technorati Tags: sculpture, Auguste Rodin, Rodin, French, French art, marble, severed head, Christian, John, Saint John, Saint John the Baptist, The Severed Head of Saint John the Baptist, head, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, art
Goddamned, you hit upon a brilliant idea!
John the Babtist ashtrays…that could fill up with blood when someone snubs their cigar/cigarette out in the little dish. This could be fun for non-smokers to watch and an important safety feature since the blood will extinquish the cherry at the end.
if I manufacture these, i will give you a fair percentage of the profit.
[...] upload it. LACMA also owns an Auguste Rodin Severed Head of Saint John the Baptist, like the one on view at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. This one is totally different, with the head more merged into the platter, less finished, [...]