Museums in Paris: Musée Rodin (Part 1 of 2)

If you like sculpture like we do, then visiting the Musée Rodin is a must when in Paris.  We recently visited the museum on a beautiful day.  Some of the works are displayed outside in the museum's garden.  So, visiting on a day with fair weather is a good idea.  

The museum is housed in the former Hôtel Biron, a chateau with gardens near the center of Paris, completed in 1732.

Musée Rodin:  Facade and courtyard of the Hôtel Biron

Musée Rodin:  the gardens behind the behind the chateau, with a view of the dual towers of Église Saint-François-Xavier

There are some stunning views from the museum, like the golden dome of Les Invalides.

Musée Rodin: View of the 350' Dôme des Invalides 

The museum opened in 1919, two years after Auguste Rodin's death.  Rodin had used some rooms at the Hotel Biron as his studio during the last part of his life.  He donated his personal art collection to the French government on condition that the Hôtel Biron be preserved (it had been slated for demolition to make way for apartments) and that his art collection be displayed there.  (You can learn more about Rodin's life by clicking here.)

We first toured the museum's garden, which is filled with Rodin's sculptures.

Sculpture of French painter Claude Lorrain by Auguste Rodin (created 1892, cast in bronze 1988)

While touring the garden, we spotted two thinkers:  The Thinker by Auguste Rodin (created in 1904, cast in bronze in 1906) and Jean-Claude.

The Thinker and The Shades (pictured below) are part of Rodin's Gates of Hell, inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy.

Closeup of one of the figures

In case you don't know the story that inspired the Burghers of Calais sculpture, here is one version of the legend:  The sculpture "tells the story of the siege of Calais in 1347, during the Hundred Years War.  Calais had been surrounded for a year by English soldiers under King Edward III. Six leading citizens of Calais, the Burghers, offered to die if Edward spared the rest of the town's people.  Edward's wife, Queen Philippa, heard about the Burghers' offer and asked if they could also be spared if the town surrendered. Edward agreed and all the people of Calais were allowed to leave."  (Royalparks.org.uk)

Since it is rose season in Paris, the museum's garden was especially lovely because it is planted in many varieties of roses.  

Next Up:  Let's tour inside the museum.