Danaïd

The sculpture you are looking at now is called Danaïde.

Danaïde is a figure from Greek mythology.

According to the myth, she was punished for murdering her husband on her wedding day at her father’s command. Her punishment was to endlessly fill a bottomless jar with water.

So, she continued trying to fill the jar,

but eventually realized that this task could never be completed. Exhausted and hopeless, she collapsed onto the ground.

Rodin created this sculpture by capturing the moment when Danaïde had fallen down in despair.

Through this work, Rodin wanted to express Danaïde’s hopelessness and the emptiness of a meaningless, endless task.

If you look closely at Danaïde, you can see the incredible delicacy of the line from her back to the nape of her neck, and the way the water flowing from the jar seems to merge with her hair. Details like these show why Rodin was considered one of the greatest sculptors of his time.

Take your time appreciating the sculpture, and when you’re ready, we’ll move on to the next work.