Which Auguste Rodin sculpture was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1875?

Auguste Rodin’s The Man with the Broken Nose was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1875.

Rodin modeled the work on an elderly porter named Bibi, whom he encountered in Paris. The sculpture shows a rugged, deeply lined face, emphasizing character rather than idealized classical beauty. Its broken-looking nose was partly caused by damage to the original clay or plaster model.

Rodin had submitted an earlier version to the Salon in 1864, but it was rejected. The later submission was accepted in 1875, making the work an important early public success. It is often discussed as a turning point in Rodin’s movement away from conventional academic smoothness.

The sculpture should not be confused with The Age of Bronze, which brought Rodin wider attention after its exhibition in 1877. The Man with the Broken Nose belongs to an earlier stage of his career and is notable for its expressive realism.