RODIN – EMMANUEL BERRY Introduction by Hélène Pinet; text by Marie Guillot, Editions Xavier Barral, 2016

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), famous for his sculptures Le Penseur and Le Baiser, understood the power of photography to share his art with the world. Now French photographer Emmanuel Berry pursues this aim further, presenting Rodin’s works against a stark black background, bringing his lens in for close-ups and presenting isolated details, textures, and body parts with the precision of a dissector. He photographs not only Rodin’s best-known sculptures, but also his lesser-known studies, clay models and plaster casts. Berry’s photography, enhanced by Marie Guillot’s interpretive essay, offer new insight into Rodin’s techniques, as well as new perspective on the emotional qualities of each work. As Guillot writes, “Work, and the hand that works, are an important theme of the series.” A century after Rodin’s death, this book gives a fresh glimpse of his handiwork.