François-Auguste-René Rodin (1840-1917), known as Auguste Rodin was a french sculptor.
Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past.
He was schooled traditionally, took a craftsman-like approach to his work, and desired academic recognition, although he was never accepted into Paris's foremost school of art.
Sculpturally, Rodin possessed a unique ability to model a complex, turbulent, deeply pocketed surface in clay.
Many of his most notable sculptures were roundly criticized during his lifetime.