Rodin exhibit gives Paine visitors, Oshkosh area residents, something to think about

Best known for its Nutcracker at the Castle show during the Christmas season, the Paine Art Center and Gardens also hosts installations at other times of the year, giving residents of Oshkosh and the surrounding community the chance to see works by some of history’s most admired artists. This June, the exhibition Rodin: Contemplation and Dreams was launched at the museum, and it will remain open until October 8. The exhibition features pieces by the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, renowned as a pioneer in the field. With more than 40 featured statues, the exhibition has not only brought a record number of pieces to the Paine, but is also one of the largest sculpture displays to be organized in the entire state of Wisconsin. 

The scope of the exhibition is just one aspect that makes it striking to an audience. Through works depicting people in poses of triumph and agony, resilience and depression, the collection also manages to tell a story of Rodin’s life and the broader human experience.

“Rodin’s work captures the vitality of the human spirit,” Laura Fiser, Curator of Collections and Exhibits at The Paine, said.

Crystal Mueller, who visited the exhibit this July, would agree.

“[I enjoyed] The Burghers of Calais, particularly the burgher standing defiant,” she said, referring to pieces depicting Frenchmen who were surrendered to the English army during the Hundred Years’ War.

Mueller feels the exhibition as a whole delivers a powerful message to its viewers.

“I was moved by the experience of learning so much about Rodin and grateful for the work that went into the exhibit,” she said.

Fiser finds that this has been a common response to the exhibit, and is glad to have been able to to bring the famed sculptor’s work to Oshkosh.

“Seeing these sculptures in person and learning more about Rodin’s inspiration from the accompanying text may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of us to experience his work,” she said. 

Mueller agrees, and lists the uniqueness of the opportunity as one of the reasons to be excited about the exhibit.

“I would absolutely recommend the exhibit to others because there are so few opportunities to see art, to have such an experience where so much of a master's work is in one space,” she said.

Carol Wagner, a Manitowoc resident who visited the exhibit when visiting family in Oshkosh, was also impressed by the display.

“It was beautiful,” she said.

Moving this many statues, all constructed from cast bronze and some measuring nearly seven feet tall, was no easy feat. Because of the immense weight and size of the pieces, rigging systems had to be attached to the ceiling of the mansion and used to lift the nine heaviest works into place.

“It took about two and a half weeks to receive, unpack, move, and install the sculptures,” Fiser said. 

Even determining where the statues could be placed within the museum was a difficult assignment.

 “We worked on the floor plan design for a few months,” Fiser said.

Having overcome logistical challenges and witnessing the impact that Rodin’s work has on its audiences, Fiser is pleased with the way the exhibition has been received by the community.

“We have received so many rave reviews from visitors, calling the exhibition an ‘absolutely breathtaking experience’ and a ‘must-see exhibition,’” she said.  

by Aria Boehler

Published October 2 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue I