Exhibitions Cedar Rapids. Malvina Hoffman: Rodin’s Last Student. The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The Curated Object

Auguste Rodin, Claude Lorrain, 1889, Musee Rodin cast 5/8 in 1992. Bronze, 84 ½ x 42 ½ x 46 in. Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collection.

Malvina Hoffman: Rodin’s Last Student
March 8 through April 20, 2008

In 1910, the young sculptress Malvina Hoffman (1885-1966) arrived at the door of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) with a letter of introduction.  While it took five more attempts before she was allowed to meet the master, he immediately agreed to take her on as a pupil.  What followed was a rewarding mentor/pupil relationship between one of the greatest sculptors of all time and his last student.  Hoffman went on to a successful career as a sculptor, perhaps most famous for her more than 100 sculptures for the Field Museum's Hall of Man in Chicago.

In 1985 and 1986, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art received a large number of plaster and bronze works by Malvina Hoffman.  These works have periodically been on view, frequently as a part of larger thematic shows.  A substantial exhibition of her work, however, hasn't happened for some time and a fortuitous loan from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation of Rodin’s sculpture of the French painter Claude Lorrain offered us the opportunity to present Malvina Hoffman: Rodin's Last Student.  For six weeks only, visitors will be treated with a visual conversation between Rodin's masterpiece and more than 30 works by Hoffman from the Museum's collection. 

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE (319) 366-7503. www.crma.org

For more information please visit: The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

-Joanne Molina

Comments

[Cedar Rapids Attorney]

I remember seeing this. It was nice to have Hoffman's work in the area. When I was in Syracuse, NY I saw "The Struggle of Elemental Man" statue.