What was the title of Auguste Rodin’s first major sculpture, exhibited in 1877?

Auguste Rodin’s first major sculpture, exhibited in 1877, was The Age of Bronze.

The life-size male figure was originally titled The Vanquished and was also associated with the title The Wounded Soldier. Its naturalistic appearance caused controversy because critics suspected Rodin had made the figure from a living model rather than modeling it entirely by hand.

Rodin successfully defended himself, and the controversy ultimately brought attention to his work. The sculpture is now recognized as an important early statement of his approach to the human body, with a pose that combines awakening, tension, and uncertainty.

The Age of Bronze is not the same work as The Thinker or The Walking Man. Rodin later reused ideas and studies in different contexts, which can make titles and versions confusing. The 1877 exhibition established him as a sculptor of serious ambition.