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The Human Figure-2500 B.C. to 2000 A.D. returns the handsome domed and decorated Rotunda to its original designation as a sculpture hall. Six sculptures, beginning with a very early Cycladic marble torso, to Rodin, Giacometti, and finally a contemporary work by Joel Shapiro, embody different interpretations of this fundamental form in Western art. Rodin's Balzac Nude provides a portrait of the intellectual athleticism of the human mind. The defiant and aggressive pose is a visual description of the force of the personality and creativity of this great literary figure. Its hefty proportions are in stark contrast to Giacometti's figure Woman of Venice IX, whose severe slightness pierces the encompassing void. Whilst Rodin's work asserts the physical manifestation of the creative potential, Giacometti's starkly proclaims the irreducible essence of humanity. The murals in the Rotunda, newly visible with improved lighting, were originally installed to acknowledge the impact of Athens and Rome (with Venice and Florence) on the art of the West. Viewers entering from the Bowdoin Gallery, having just experienced the ancient and European objects, will be well positioned to appreciate this homage.
