Pierre de Wiessant
Graphite on illustration board
15" x 20"
2009
Private collection
The legendary French sculptor, Auguste Rodin, once said, in respect of his "Burghers of Calais", that "to model shadows is to create thought." Collins took this observation to heart when drawing his portrait of Rodin's sculpture of Pierre de Wiessant, one of the "Burghers of Calais". Not only did Rodin's iconic sculpture provoke a sense of wonder in Collins but Collins also sought to inspire similar reflection upon his drawing.
Collins, like Rodin, used a dramatic interplay of light and shadow to great effect in emphasizing the gnarled texture of the subject's bronze skin. This texture, combined with de Wiessant's tortured expression, underscore the profound mental turmoil of the subject. Collins drew a connection between this turmoil, his own and that of the philosopher who must grapple with life's most challenging questions.
Collins completed this drawing when he was only seventeen years old, as a gift for a philosophical friend who was moving away. Nevertheless, the piece remains one of Collins' most ambitious, technically accomplished, and haunting artworks. It exemplifies Collins' prodigious talent and bold vision, and it foreshadows his later artistic focus on the theme of the Sublime.
