The Journey Girl on Rhino, Cast Bronze Sculpture by Graciela Rodo Boulanger

Details

Description

This cold-cast bronze sculpture, titled "The Journey," presents a fantastical vision of a girl seated sideways on the back of … Read more This cold-cast bronze sculpture, titled "The Journey," presents a fantastical vision of a girl seated sideways on the back of a rhinoceros. Both rider and animal are rendered in Boulanger’s distinctive style: abstracted, simplified, and imbued with whimsical charm. The rhino’s textured body and exaggerated horns contrast with the smooth, doll-like figure of the girl, who sits in quiet repose as if embarking on an allegorical voyage.
The juxtaposition of child and beast underscores themes central to Boulanger’s oeuvre—innocence, imagination, and the surreal power of childhood. While rooted in figuration, the sculpture departs from naturalism, allowing unusual proportions and stylized forms to carry symbolic resonance.


About the Artist
Graciela Rodo Boulanger was born in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1935. Raised by a pianist mother and an art-collecting father, she was immersed in culture from an early age, pursuing both music and painting with equal passion. After giving her first piano recital at 15 and exhibiting artwork in Vienna and Salzburg by age 18, she ultimately chose to devote herself entirely to art. She studied printmaking in Paris under Johnny Friedlaender, later achieving international acclaim for her graphic works and sculptures.
Her career has been marked by extraordinary recognition: in 1979, she was named UNICEF’s official artist for the International Year of the Child, and her works have been exhibited worldwide, including retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art of Latin America in Washington, D.C., and commissions for institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera of New York.


Context and Legacy
The Journey embodies Boulanger’s recurring fascination with the imaginative worlds of childhood. By pairing the vulnerability of a child with the power of a rhinoceros, she invokes both wonder and paradox, suggesting resilience through innocence and strength through imagination. Her sculptures, like her prints and paintings, blend playfulness with allegory, positioning her as one of Latin America’s most celebrated and distinctive modern artists.


Collector’s Note
Signed on the base, this sculpture is a rare example of Boulanger’s work in cold cast bronze. Its surreal pairing of child and rhinoceros epitomizes her gift for creating universal narratives through whimsical forms. See less