November 24, 2025

Rodin’s Egypt at NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), November 19, 2025-March 15, 2026

“NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) presents Rodin’s Egypt, an exhibition focused on the world-famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) and his robust collection of ancient Egyptian art. Opening on November 19, 2025, the exhibition brings together more than 60 objects that include Rodin’s sculptures and antiquities from his collection, illuminating the ways in which Rodin’s creative process was clearly inspired by these ancient works.” — ISAW

“Rodin’s Egypt is the product of a profound collaboration between colleagues in Paris and New York. The exhibition brings more than 60 objects from the Musée Rodin, which together illustrate the range of inspirations Rodin found in Egyptian material and the variety of his responses to it. Through it, we invite visitors to juxtapose two aesthetics of corporeality, that of ancient Egypt and Rodin’s very different vision, and to think about the various kinds of connection represented by the dialogue between them,” stated Greg Woolf, Leon Levy Director of NYU’s ISAW.

Auguste Rodin. Female nude seated on a lug handled vase,
1895–1910 (figure); 3500– 2900 BCE (Predynastic Period) (vase).
Plaster (figure) and Travertine (vase). Egypt; Findspot unknown (vase). H. 23.7 cm; W. 13.2 cm; D. 11.5 cm. Donation Rodin 1916.
Musée Rodin
Naophorous (shrine) statue of Ra-Horakhty. 1550–332 BCE (New Kingdom – Late Period). Painted limestone. Egypt; Findspot unknown. H. 65 cm; W. 28.5 cm; D. 8.5 cm. Donation Rodin 1916. Musée Rodin
Auguste Rodin. Balzac (Final Study), 1897. Plaster.
H. 109 cm; W. 44 cm; D. 41 cm. Donation Rodin 1916. Musée Rodin
Block Naophorous (shrine) statue of a man. 1295–1070 BCE (New Kingdom). Diorite. Egypt, findspot unknown. H. 44.5 cm; W. 24.2 cm; D. 13.7 cm. Donation Rodin 1916. Musée Rodin.

Curated by Bénédicte Garnier, curator at the Musée Rodin in Paris, Rodin’s Egypt features loans from the Musée Rodin, with additional items from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue were made possible by the generous support of the Leon Levy Foundation.

“This is the very first time that the masterpieces of Rodin’s Egyptian collection are exhibited in the United States. Bénédicte Garnier has been working for more than 15 years to document, restore, and make accessible the collection. She collaborated with Dr. Roberta Casagrande-Kim, former Bernard and Lisa Selz Director of Exhibitions and Gallery Curator at ISAW to create a particularly illuminating journey. It took the curiosity and courage of ISAW to organize an exhibition that is both beautiful and demanding, reflecting the most cutting-edge research. I invite you to immerse yourselves in this fountain of youth!,” added Amélie Simier, Director of Musée Rodin.

Title image: Auguste Rodin. Le Succube (The Succubus), 1888 (model), 1890 (casting). Bronze. H. 23 cm; W. 16.6 cm; D. 17 cm. Musée Rodin.

Images courtesy NYU’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW).