They Exchanged Paintings as Friends: Rodin and the Painter Eugène Carrière

The paintings hanging on this wall were made by the painter Eugène Carrière. Rodin and Carrière were close friends who deeply respected one another's talent, and as a token of that friendship, they often exchanged works. What hangs here are pieces Rodin received from Carrière in just such an exchange, including a portrait of Rodin himself.

One painting in particular is worth lingering on: a nude woman seen from behind. Like Rodin, Carrière was deeply drawn to the female form and produced many works exploring it, and this piece is said to have been a particular favorite of Rodin's for how delicately it captures light — and the fleeting contours that appear the instant light brushes across a woman's body. Rodin once remarked that Carrière "paints the way a sculptor sculpts."