Summit meeting between Picasso and Rodin

An intriguing exhibition is currently taking place in Paris, focusing on two great artists: Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). They never formally met, but Picasso was privileged to view Rodin’s “kitchenette,” the temporary studio set up in his honor at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. Exposure to Rodin’s work ignited a fire in Picasso that burned for another 40 years.

Rodin is a modern sculptor of the new era, expressing in his art and the techniques he used to create the “rhythm” of the period in which he lived. He “breathed” the industrial revolution, which forever changed the history of humanity. His work was also done in bronze, alongside marble. This is the progress, innovation, and uniqueness that he brought to the art world. We will follow his creative process, as he explored the formal precedents that influenced his work and as a creator formulated a new language of expression, which at the beginning of its journey was severely criticized because he dared to challenge the accepted and familiar - hence his greatness.

Picasso watched Rodin at work in the “kitchenette” at the 1900 fair and, like him, also wanted to gain recognition and respect as a multidisciplinary artist in Paris and around the world. During these years Paris It was a kind of “Silicon Valley,” an international development center for the arts, where it seemed that every day a new group of creators emerged who dared to challenge the establishment and formulate for themselves a universe of new personal expression.

The encounter between Picasso and Rodin was unique in that Picasso was privileged to see and learn the working process of a master, from the inside. Picasso is a virtuoso, he creates images in two-dimensional space, painting, and three-dimensional space – sculpture. He uses Rodin’s formal world as a springboard and inspiration for his own work. The exhibition brings together the work of both and presents them side by side.

The exhibition allows us to enter Picasso's head, to reconstruct the flow of thoughts and actions of each of the artists and that of both of them together. I realize that in order to move forward, we must first go back in time.

In the lecture, we will share secrets from the kitchen and reconstruct the flow chart of each creator's linguistic and design development.

Kinneret Zohar-Lahav, a lecturer on art with many years of experience and a large fan base, is going to give a Zoom lecture on these two great artists and the connection between them. This is a must-see lecture for anyone who is going to travel to Paris to visit the exhibition in question or for any Francophile who loves art. Through the lecture, you will not only get to know the art of each of these artists but also create a kind of flowchart of the linguistic and design development of each creator.

Here are some responses to the previous lecture on the same topic.

“Thank you very much, it was fascinating”

“You were amazing. Fascinating lecture. Thank you very much.”

"charming"

“It was excellent and innovative, for me. Thank you very much”

“Thank you for an excellent lecture.
Waiting for the sequel – worth it”

“It was a fascinating lecture and I am glad I made time to listen and watch it. The lecturer is excellent and the connections between Rodin and Picasso were fascinating, as were the connections to giants of previous generations.”