The Musée Rodin in Paris is a museum that was
opened in 1919, dedicated to the works of the
French sculptor Auguste Rodin.
It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds
in central Paris and just outside Paris at Rodin's old home,
the Villa des Brillants at Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine).
The collection includes 6,600 sculptures,
8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs, and 7,000 objets d'art.
The photos in this post are from my visit
to the Hôtel Biron location in Paris.
François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917),
known as Auguste Rodin, was a French sculptor.
Although Rodin is generally considered the
progenitor of modern sculpture,
he did not set out to rebel against the past.
He was schooled traditionally,
took a craftsman-like approach to his work,
and desired academic recognition, although he was
never accepted into Paris's foremost school of art.
Sculpturally, Rodin possessed a unique ability to model a
complex, turbulent, deeply pocketed surface in clay.
Many of his most notable sculptures were
roundly criticized during his lifetime.
They clashed with predominant figurative sculpture traditions,
in which works were decorative, formulaic, or highly thematic.
Rodin's most original work departed from traditional themes
of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism,
and celebrated individual character and physicality.
Rodin was sensitive to the controversy surrounding his work,
but refused to change his style.
Successive works brought increasing favor
from the government and the artistic community.
(above text from Wikipedia)
From the unexpected realism of his first major figure –
inspired by his 1875 trip to Italy –
to the unconventional memorials whose commissions
he later sought, Rodin's reputation grew, such that he
became the preeminent French sculptor of his time.
By 1900, he was a world-renowned artist.
Wealthy private clients sought Rodin's work after his
World's Fair exhibit, and he kept company with a
variety of high-profile intellectuals and artists.
His students included Antoine Bourdelle, Camille Claudel,
Constantin Brâncuși and Charles Despiau.
He married his lifelong companion, Rose Beuret,
in the last year of both their lives.
His sculptures suffered a decline in popularity after his
death in 1917, but within a few decades, his legacy solidified.
Rodin remains one of the few sculptors widely known
outside the visual arts community.
(above text from Wikipedia)
The Musée Rodin contains most of Rodin's significant creations,
including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell.
Many of his sculptures are displayed in the museum's
extensive garden. The museum includes a room dedicated
to the works of Camille Claudel.
The museum is one of the most accessible museums in Paris.
It is located near a Metro stop, Varenne, in a central neighborhood,
and the entrance fee is very reasonable. It is closed on Mondays.
The gardens around the museum building contain many of the
famous sculptures in natural settings.
Behind the museum building there is a small lake
and casual restaurant.
(Above text from Wikipedia)
All photos are the property of Danielle Muller
