The Centauress

This sculpture is a provocative version of the more classical equestrian monument. In Rodin's version, the heroine and the horse have become one, there is no distinction between them. As many of his sculptures, this is the combination of two previous works made by Rodin. The more traditional idea of the centaur girl can be seen on a pilaster of "The Gates of Hell" by Rodin. In that case Rodin originally planned to sculpt centaurs carrying the struggling bodies of women. In the final version we can find a centaur placed on top of the left pilaster of the sculptural complex.