Latest news with #TheGatesofHell
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Rediscovery of Rodin's Despair — and lessons in rejuvenation
For years, it sat atop the family piano, a purported reproduction of a piece from Auguste Rodin's monumental The Gates of Hell. Now, the 11-inch sculpture of a woman clutching her foot, locked in an eternal posture of defeat, has pirouetted into the limelight, fetching nearly a million dollars at an auction in France after it was outed as the real thing: Rodin's Le Désespoir (Despair). Created in 1890 and last sold in 1906, it was only rediscovered when the auctioneer chanced upon what the family thought was a fake last year. With the authentication, it has become a windfall for its unsuspecting owners. The course of art history, of course, is not entirely new to such serendipitous events. Róbert Berény's Sleeping Lady with Black Vase, a 1927-28 art deco portrait of his wife, Eta, was rediscovered in 2009 when historian Gergely Barki spotted it in the background of the movie Stuart Little during a Christmas watch with his daughter. The painting, thought to be lost, had been picked up by a set designer from an antique shop in California and found its way into the movie as a prop. Vincent Van Gogh's unsigned Sunset at Montmajour from Norwegian industrialist Christian Nicolai Mustad's private collection had been left to languish in the estate attic after being dismissed as a forgery. Discovered after Mustad's death, it was finally authenticated in 2013. Misplaced, mislabelled, folded into the fabric of the everyday, forgotten in time, such stories reveal art's stubborn endurance and its implicit ability to thaw into rapture. In literature, for instance, Franz Kafka, convinced of his own futility, had requested that his writings be destroyed after his death. That his friend Max Brod demurred turned Kafka's anguish into modernist gold. What Despair's reversal in fortune shows, then, is that genius mislaid is not genius lost. And that sometimes, the divide between gloom and glory is as fragile as a fleeting glance. In the right light — and with the right eye — despair may yet delight.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A family thought the sculpture on their piano was a ‘fake' Rodin. Now it's sold for nearly $1 million
A sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin that had disappeared from public view for almost 120 years and was thought to be a copy has sold for 860,000 euros ($984,000) at auction. 'Le Désespoir,' which shows a female figure sat on a rock holding one foot with her knee hugged to her chest, was rediscovered at the end of 2024 after last being sold in 1906, said auction house Rouillac in a statement on Sunday. Rodin, who lived from 1840-1917, made several versions of 'Le Désespoir.' This particular sculpture was modelled in 1890 and sculpted from marble in 1892-93. Measuring just 28.5 centimeters (11.2 inches) by 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) by 25 centimeters (9.8 inches), the sculpture was originally modelled to form part of Rodin's monumental work 'The Gates of Hell,' which features more than 200 figures and groups. The previous owners – a family from central France – had no idea of its value and had displayed the sculpture on top of a piano alongside family photos, auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac told CNN on Tuesday. 'They said 'it's a fake, it's a copy,'' Rouillac said, but he decided to investigate further. The details of this sculpture are striking, Rouillac told CNN. 'The back, the muscles, they are perfect,' he said. 'You can feel every vertebra in the spinal column.' Following his own initial investigation, Rouillac took the sculpture for assessment by the Comité Rodin, which maintains a catalogue of the artist's work. On Tuesday, Jérôme Le Blay, co-founder of the Comité Rodin, told CNN that he was immediately struck by the 'exceptional' piece. 'I realized in a second that it was real,' he said. 'I had absolutely no doubt.' This particular example is 'extremely well made,' said Le Blay, adding that it dates back to a period when Rodin was dedicating a huge amount of time to making a small number of sculptures. Rodin would have worked with assistants who would have carried out the initial work on a piece of marble, before he performed the final stages, he explained. According to Le Blay, the sculpture dates to 'one of the best moments of Rodin's career,' before his growing fame meant that he started to produce more and more works after the turn of the century. Upon his death, Rodin left his works to the Musée Rodin in Paris, as well as granting it permission to continue producing his bronze sculptures. While many of these posthumous bronzes go under the hammer each year, marbles are much harder to find, said Le Blay. Most of Rodin's marbles are owned by the Musée Rodin or by other large museums around the world, he said. 'Marbles in private collections are rare,' he said, adding that this piece has a 'kind of magic' due to the fact that it has reappeared for sale after such a long time. Following a 'passionate' auction, the winning bid was made by a young banker from the US West Coast, according to the auction house.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lost Auguste Rodin sculpture sells for €860,000 at auction in France
A small marble sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin, which was long thought to be a copy, has fetched €860,000 at an auction in France, at the Château de Villandry (Indre-et-Loire), according to the website of the Rouillac auction house. 'Le Désespoir' ('Despair'), a variation on the famous 'Porte de l'Enfer' ('The Gates of Hell'), was produced around 1892. It depicts a woman hugging her knees and holding her foot. It had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906, and its owners had it sitting on a piano in their home, believing it was a replica. After a six-week investigation, they were informed of its authenticity. French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac told AFP that he went to the Comité Rodin in March and the body, considered to be the leading authority on the French sculptor, confirmed it was not a fake after much research and a genealogical survey. Rouillac described the 28.5cm marble as an 'extremely rare' find. "We have rediscovered it," he added. And sold it for nearly one million dollars to an anonymous American buyer.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Despair to delight: lost Rodin 'copy' sells for $1m
A small marble sculpture thought to be a copy of the French artist Auguste Rodin's work has turned out to be the real thing, selling for almost $1m at an auction in France on Monday. The sculpture, called "Despair", a figure of a woman hugging her knees and holding one foot, is a work by the famed sculptor from 1892 that had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906. For the owners, "Despair" turned to delight when the piece they believed to be a Rodin copy was confirmed as authentic by the Comite Rodin after a six-week probe. French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac described it as an "extremely rare" find and the work was put up for auction and eventually sold for €860,000 (£725,000; $982,000). "Despair" was originally modelled by Rodin as part of his series of figures for The Gates of Hell. According to the Musée Rodin, the figure is a depiction of sorrow and the French sculptor created other versions after it was positively received. After the family who owned the 28.5cm (11 inches) marble figure – which had sat on their piano for years – approached Mr Rouillac, he and his team spent months investigating the origins of the piece. In March, Mr Rouillac brought the piece to the Comité Rodin, a research group dedicated to studying the works of Rodin, who confirmed its authenticity six weeks later. The committee found that "Despair" had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906. "We have rediscovered it," Mr Rouillac told the AFP news agency. Museum unable to locate £3m Rodin sculpture Rodin marble sells for record $20m
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Ivan Waldeck: From gang leader to guiding light
Ivan Waldeck's book is now for sale Image: Supplied Once a feared gangster and convicted murderer, Ivan Waldeck has become one of South Africa's most powerful voices for change. His newly released autobiography, The Gates of Hell, tells the unflinching story of how a life shaped by poverty, violence and addiction was turned into a mission of hope, healing and transformation. Born and raised in Tiervlei-Ravensmead, Cape Town, Waldeck was no stranger to hardship. Losing both his father and twin siblings at a young age, he grew up in a shack with a single mother trying to hold the family together. With poverty all around and violence on every corner, gangsterism seemed less like a choice and more like a means of survival. He joined young and rose quickly, driven by a desire for power and protection in a brutal environment. His life is a story few would believe if it weren't told in his own words. Now, Waldeck is using his past not for pity or pride, but to pave a way out for those still trapped in the violent cycle he narrowly escaped. Waldeck's criminal rise brought him face to face with some of the Western Cape's most feared figures — including Rashied Staggie, leader of the Hard Livings gang. But in an unexpected twist, years later, the two men would work together toward a different kind of legacy: helping others break free from the same destructive lifestyle they once embodied. While imprisoned, Waldeck began to experience a radical shift. A brief yet life-altering encounter with Nelson Mandela at Pollsmoor Prison became a moment of reckoning. What followed was years of soul-searching, transformation and the painful work of reconciliation — both with himself and those he had hurt. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Ivan Waldeck shared personal accounts of his most darkest moments Image: Supplied 'The reason for this book was our young men dying every week on our streets,' Waldeck says. 'Mothers' tears moved me to give hope to our young generation and make them aware that there is a way out of gangs.' The Gates of Hell, which took two years to write, is raw, unfiltered, and rooted in truth — not glorifying gang life, but exposing its devastating toll. Waldeck doesn't write as a victim or a hero, but as someone who has lived the darkness and chosen the light. 'I took every opportunity to better my life and build a future for my children — and to reach out to those in need to exit the life of crime.' He now leads the Cape Transformation Centre, a non-profit organisation committed to helping others find a way out. The centre's flagship programme, EXIT, supports individuals seeking to leave gangs and overcome addiction. It offers a structured 12-step recovery process for drug users, alongside counselling and guidance for reintegration into communities. Waldeck is also deeply committed to prevention. 'My goal is for The Gates of Hell to become a comprehension book for Grade 8 students in South African schools,' he explains. 'To inform them and warn them not to be involved in crime and gangs.' Rashieda Staggie with Ivan Waldeck and his wife Nathasha Image: Supplied He recalls haunting scenes from his time in prison, where boys barely into their teens were thrown into a world they weren't ready for. 'I saw young men who couldn't stand their ground. They were abused in different ways, and many times it's too late to intervene. I remember one gangster who hanged himself because he couldn't deal with the 'Numbers' system and their requirements.' Waldeck, now a husband, father, and community leader, remains grounded in the belief that change is possible — not just for individuals, but for entire communities. 'We must appreciate those who care,' he said. 'Because sometimes, that's all it takes to stop someone from falling.' The Gates of Hell is more than a personal memoir. It's a beacon of possibility for those society has written off, a tool for educators and community leaders, and a rallying cry for a nation battling crime and youth disillusionment. The Gates of Hell by Ivan Waldeck is available now in print and digital formats. For schools, churches, community organisations and anyone passionate about social justice and second chances, this is a book that demands to be read — and shared. Weekend Argus
