How did Auguste Rodin influence Rainer Maria Rilke’s approach to art?

Auguste Rodin profoundly influenced Rainer Maria Rilke’s artistic development after the two met in Paris in 1902. Through their friendship, which lasted until 1906, Rodin provided Rilke with a new perspective on creativity that moved away from traditional notions of inspiration.1

Rodin taught Rilke a personal art ethic centered on unremitting, disciplined labor. This method emphasized a dedication to detail, nuance, and an objective search for "form"—a process of concentration and objectivization. This influence was instrumental in Rilke’s development of the Ding-Gedicht ("object poem"), a style of lyric poetry that attempts to capture the plastic essence of physical objects.12

Furthermore, Rodin expanded Rilke’s aesthetic horizons by guiding him toward the treasures of the Louvre and the cathedral of Chartres, helping the poet refine his ability to perceive and translate visual forms into language. Rilke later characterized this rigorous approach to artistic creation as a "using up of love in anonymous labor," reflecting the profound impact of Rodin’s disciplined philosophy on his own work.12