Medardo Rosso: sight unseen and his encounters with London

Abstract

Rosso was a revolutionary sculptor who subverted traditional modeling and casting methods to animate the surfaces of his sculptures. He went against prevailing monumental and heroic tendencies by depicting vulnerable subjects such as the poor, children and the elderly. Some of his works, like Enfant au sein (late 1889-90), on view at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, border on abstraction. He adopted a performative approach to sculpture by casting his bronzes in public in a theatrical mise-en-scène, and he invented unique exhibition strategies by installing his work alongside those of other artists. ---- Exhibition: Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, Ely House, London, UK (23.11.2017-10.02.2018).