"Sculpture is the art of the hole and the lump"

Auguste Rodin's quote "Sculpture is the art of the hole and the swelling" is a concise way of explaining the procedure of sculpting. It implies that the artist should be able to identify and deal with both the unfavorable and favorable space of a sculpture. The "hole" describes the unfavorable space, or the area that is not filled out by the sculpture. This is the area that the artist need to have the ability to recognize and deal with in order to produce an effective sculpture. The "swelling" refers to the favorable space, or the space that is filled out by the sculpture. This is the space that the artist should have the ability to acknowledge and work with in order to develop a successful sculpture. By recognizing and dealing with both the negative and favorable area, the artist has the ability to produce a sculpture that is aesthetically pleasing and conveys the desired message. Rodin's quote is a suggestion that sculpting is an art form that requires the artist to be able to recognize and deal with both the hole and the swelling.