Disegno: Rodin

**Disegno: The foundation of Art

**The Italian word for fine art drawing is 'disegno'. But its meaning extends beyond the literal idea of draftsmanship. Disegno is the principle/method which underlies sculpture, as well as fine art painting and architecture. Above all, disegno constitutes the intellectual component of the visual arts, which justifies their elevation from craft to fine art.

Rodin employed disegno in a new way. He looked at Michelangelo’s work to break the neoclassical conventions of his era. He had a distinct personal vision and he stubbornly persisted until he actualized this vision in his art.

Master sculptor Sabin Howard talks about Rodin’s life, his craft, and his passion. Learn about The Age of Bronze, The Thinker, and The Burghers of Calais. “Rodin was a bomb going off in the art world,” says Sabin Howard. Here’s why.