François Rude's Departure Of The Volunteers Of 1972

I chose to write about “Departure of the Volunteers of 1972” (The Marseillaise) by François Rude and “Eve” by Auguste Rodin. Rude’s sculpture appealed to me immediately, it is extremely rich in detail as well as drama. It is a very tumultuous and aggressive looking sculpture; Bellona the Roman goddess of war is leading the French into battle. The goddess in particular is my favorite part, the artist does a great job of making her look ethereal. The wings, robe, crown, and stance all exemplify this spectacularly.
Departure of the Volunteers of 1972 was carved of limestone in the early nineteenth century. If you were to touch this medium it would feel smooth and hard. This is the actual texture of the actual material it’s comprised of. The implied texture of the sculpture though is significantly different. The artist throws in a plethora of different textures each one fighting for the audience’s attention. The men are equipped with several sharp weapons along with helmets and armor. Implying tough, rigid, and hard material. Yet there are still soft and delicate textures like Bellona’s robe, or the man in the centers hair. The different textures in the work give it a realistic style, that helps to further promote the passion within it.
The work ‘Eve” is a reference to the biblical figure; it was cast of bronze. In the sculpture,
It sits on the face of the Arc De Tromphe in France. It is in high relief which is clear because several limbs and heads of the figures are undercut. I feel that Rodin’s sculpture works much better being in the round than it would if it were in relief. This is because Eve appears to be awaiting judgement for her actions. Having her back against a background hides part of her; she has to be presented in her entirety to show her vulnerability. Departure is more of a linear story so it doesn’t necessarily need to be in the round to be wholly