“The Three Shades” is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, created in 1886, during a period when the influence of Impressionism was evident in France. This particular work is categorized within the sculpture genre and is currently housed at the Musée Rodin in Paris, France. The piece is representative of Rodin’s innovative approach to form and his keen insight into human emotion and condition.
The artwork depicts three identical figures, standing close to each other, with each of their right arms extending downwards and their slightly bowed heads pointing downwards in unity. The figures are conjoined at their bases, seeming to share the same platform, while each maintains a distinct stance. This configuration of forms suggests a circle, creating an impression of perpetual movement and fluidity.
Cast in bronze, the sculpture is characterized by its rough textures and the play of light across its surface, attributes that align it with the aesthetic principles of the Impressionist movement. The figures’ musculature is highly detailed, highlighting Rodin’s mastery of the human anatomy. The repetition of the figure creates a rhythmic visual motif, while also invoking a sense of melancholy and reflection.
“The Three Shades” originally adorned the top of Rodin’s monumental work “The Gates of Hell,” informing the overall despairing theme of that piece. In creating “The Three Shades,” Rodin was likely influenced by Dante’s “Inferno,” in which shades are the souls of the damned that inhabit Hell, thus the downward gaze of the figures suggests the recognition of their damned fate. Each figure seems to be lost in a state of resignation and sorrow, their collective posture and expression exuding a sense of profound existential weariness.
