The Lilacs, ca. 1873

After his training under Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Rodin followed his tutor to Brussels in 1871, where they worked together on the ornamentation of the Brussels Stock Exchange. During his Belgian years (until 1877), Rodin gained artistic independence as a sculptor. Typical for this period are the individual characters of the series of terracotta female busts, which he managed to give them by reworking the clay, just before the sculptures were fired. Even though he generally used the same model, the busts are all slightly different, especially in the way they wear their hair. For example, while other sculptures of this series may have their hair entwined with vine leaves, we see that in this particularly fine version she is wearing lilacs in her hair.