The poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote: “Rodin was alone before his fame. And, perhaps, the fame he obtained made him even more lonely. Since fame, ultimately, is nothing more than the sum of all the misunderstandings that revolve around a new man”. In contrast with the stereotypical understanding of Auguste Rodin as an energetic and powerful artist lies the delicate nature of Figure assise sur fond jaune, in which—beyond the figure itself—the artist depicts its movement. The reclined young woman, lost in thought while feeding some birds, is traced with utmost grace. She doesn’t seem static or frozen: within her lies the vibrancy of the corporeal.

In the early 1890s, at a point when Rodin could afford to pay for models to pose for him, he worked in an unexpected way, allowing his subjects to move freely through the room in order to capture a sense of spontaneity. His passion for the suspended moment and the comprehensive understanding of the human body were two of the most relevant aspects for Rodin, which were undoubtedly captured in this drawing.