Thomas F. Ryan thumbnail 1
Thomas F. Ryan thumbnail 2
+9
images

Thomas F. Ryan

Bust
1909 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Thomas Ryan (1851-1928) was a member of the stock exchange in his early twenties and subsequently a very successful businessman with coal mines, railroad companies, tobacco interests, and insurance. He became a multimillionaire. He was almost certainly introduced to Rodin by the Duchesse de Choiseul (Museum nos. A.45 and A.46-1914) in 1908 and played a major role in promoting his work in the USA. In 1910 he financed the purchase of ten of Rodin's works for the Metropolitan Museum, New York, which became the core of their Rodin collection, displayed in the new Rodin Gallery there in 1912 alongside small plasters and a bronze cast of the bust of Ryan which Rodin had presented to the Museum the previous year.

Ryan sat for his portrait at the Hôtel Biron (now the Musée Rodin) in 1909, shortly after Rodin had rented studio space there. As neither spoke the other's language, the sittings were conducted in silence. Rodin's portrait captures the strength of Ryan's character as well as his physical power - he was broad-shouldered and over six feet tall. Versions in bronze, silver and marble were made for Ryan's own collection, all of them delivered by 1910. This bust, closely related to the one in New York, was given to the V&A by Rodin in 1914.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleThomas F. Ryan (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Bust in bronze, 'Thomas Fortune Ryan' by Auguste Rodin, French, 1909
Physical description
Bronze bust of Thomas F. Ryan, with two inscriptions.
Dimensions
  • Height: 450mm
  • Width: 800mm
  • Weight: 42kg
  • Depth: 600mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • A. Rodin (inscription signed twice, on the front right and also in relief on the under surface)
  • ALEXIS. RUDIER. FONDEUR. PARIS (Marked on back of the right shoulder)
Gallery label
  • Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) Portrait of Thomas Fortune Ryan (1851–1928) 1909 Thomas Fortune Ryan was an American millionaire and art collector who met Rodin in 1909. He thought Rodin a genius, and played a significant role in establishing the sculptor’s reputation in the USA. Ryan paid for ten works by Rodin for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and set up a fund for further acquisitions. He ordered versions of this portrait in bronze, silver and marble. Paris Bronze, cast by Alexis Rudier(2021)
  • Thomas Fortune Ryan (1851-1928) was an American millionaire and collector, whom Rodin met in 1909. He thought Rodin a genius and played a significant role in establishing his reputation in America, paying for ten works by Rodin for the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and setting up a fund for further purchases. He ordered versions of this portrait in bronze, silver and marble.(March 2007)
Credit line
Given to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Rodin in 1914
Subject depicted
Summary
Thomas Ryan (1851-1928) was a member of the stock exchange in his early twenties and subsequently a very successful businessman with coal mines, railroad companies, tobacco interests, and insurance. He became a multimillionaire. He was almost certainly introduced to Rodin by the Duchesse de Choiseul (Museum nos. A.45 and A.46-1914) in 1908 and played a major role in promoting his work in the USA. In 1910 he financed the purchase of ten of Rodin's works for the Metropolitan Museum, New York, which became the core of their Rodin collection, displayed in the new Rodin Gallery there in 1912 alongside small plasters and a bronze cast of the bust of Ryan which Rodin had presented to the Museum the previous year.

Ryan sat for his portrait at the Hôtel Biron (now the Musée Rodin) in 1909, shortly after Rodin had rented studio space there. As neither spoke the other's language, the sittings were conducted in silence. Rodin's portrait captures the strength of Ryan's character as well as his physical power - he was broad-shouldered and over six feet tall. Versions in bronze, silver and marble were made for Ryan's own collection, all of them delivered by 1910. This bust, closely related to the one in New York, was given to the V&A by Rodin in 1914.
Bibliographic references
  • Catalogue of Sculpture by Auguste Rodin. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1925. pp. 18-19
  • Hawkins, Jennifer, Rodin Sculptures London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1975, p.31, ill.36
  • Butler, Ruth and Glover Lindsay, Suzanne, European Sculpture of the Nineteenth Century, Washington, National Gallery of Art, distributed by Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford, 2000. pp. 399-402.
  • Mitchell, Claudine. The Gift to the British Nation: Rodin at the V&A. In: Mitchell, Claudine. ed.Rodin: The Zola of Sculpture. Henry Moore Institute, 2003. pp. 183-200.
  • Alley, R. Tate Gallery Catalogue: Foreign Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture. London, 1959. pp. 221-222.
  • Antoinette, Le Normand-Romain. The Bronzes of Rodin: Catalogue of Works in the Musée Rodin. London : Lund Humphries ; Paris : Éditions de la Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 2007. pp. 634-635.
Collection
Accession number
A.48-1914

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 27, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest