Hand from the tomb

This is one of the many works of Rodin representing hands the hands. He kept many hand clay studies in his studio, where he would contemplate them as sculptural forms. For Rodin, the hand and the interplay of hands within groups of figures were expressive components of his sculptures. This approach reinforced Rodin's interest in the partial figure. He felt that representations of parts of the body, such as the hand, are not necessarily dependent upon a complete figure to convey meaning.