HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA.- The Art Galllery of Nova Scotia presents “Rodin: A Magnificent Obsession - Sculpture from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation,” on view through May 22, 2005. Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917) rose from the poverty and obscurity of working-class Paris to become celebrated as the greatest and most prolific sculptor since Michelangelo. His genius was born of discipline, tenacious study and practice, and a burning desire to overcome the painful rejection of the official artistic establishment. Rodinís genius was manifested in his ability to look to both the past and to the future: his work embodies the best of Classical, Renaissance, and modern traditions.

The 72 pieces in the exhibition represent the full range of Rodin’s life work, including works from The Gates of Hell (1880-1917), The Burghers of Calais (1884-1885), The Monument to Balzac (1891-1898) as well as fragments, portraits, prints, and photographs. This collection was assembled by the American financier,B. Gerald Cantor (1916-1996), who amassed the world’s largest and most distinguished private Rodin collection.

This exhibition was organized and made possible by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, and a grant from the Office of Lt. Governor Kathleen Blanco and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the Lafayette Consolidated Government.