Picturesque Chapel Hill, North Carolina, home of the University of North Carolina Tarheels, is an idyllic college town. Less than a block from Franklin Street (famous for its unique shops during the day and its many bars during the night), the Ackland Art Museum holds some stunning works of art. Unimpressive in stature yet fresh and modern, the Ackland Art Museum's red brick exterior belies the fact that the structure contains hundreds of priceless art pieces. Included in the permanent collection of the museum is Auguste Rodin's Project for a Monument to the Defense of Paris (1879).

Auguste Rodin (1840 - 1917) created the sculpture also titled The Call to Arms, as his entry in a competition for a memorial to the defense of Paris. The sculpture memorializes the army of the Second Empire of France's battle against and ultimate surrender to the invading German army in 1871. Although Rodin did not win the competition, his genius was recognized and a larger copy was erected in Paris in honor of

the French veterans who fought in World War I. Rodin's original sculpture stands in the Ackland.

My first impression of Project for a Monument to the Defense o

Although the winged figure is a female, she is not the typical female form used in art in the nineteenth century. The winged figure cannot be portrayed in the typical feminist fashion-weak, helpless and needy-because she represents the State. Portraying her too "female" would suggest France is weak. The sculpture was created to honor those who fought to keep Paris from the Germans. Rodin would have insult the

The barefoot and nude soldier beneath the winged female is twisted in agony. His back is arched in pain; his torso is twisted to the left. The soldier is leaning against the winged figure, and his face is turned toward the body of Victory for solace. The right arm is grasping at his left side, further convoluting his body. His fingers and toes are elongated, gnarled, and grotesque. He holds in his right hand the handle of a sword. The lower half of the shaft of the sword disappears into the base of the sculpture. His well-defined muscles in his torso, legs, and arms illustrate the fact that the soldier did not die because of lack of strength. The soldier's internal battle for his life is seen in his straining neck veins and clenched fists. His contorted body, arc of his neck, and upturned head portray his immense pain, as if the Rodin captured a single moment in his long and painful death.

Project for a Monument to the Defense of Paris is a remarkable sculpture. The composite allegory is simply amazing. The winged figure above a dying soldier represents Liberty, Victory, and France. What a beautiful allegory, even if the winged figure herself is not exactly beautiful! The universality of the soldier connects with every viewer. In America, the war the Second Republic of France fought against Germany in 1870 to 1871 is not well known. This fact makes the sculpture no less interesting or powerful to the viewer. I loved the cold, hard texture. It reminded me of the agony of war and death. The empty

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