Rodin Museum, Paris

We enjoyed a visit to the Rodin Museum and gardens on our trip to Paris last month. We have visited this beautiful museum multiple times before but never tire of seeing the works of France’s most famous sculptor. Housed in a stunning manor house built in 1732, it was called Hôtel Biron when Rodin rented a number of rooms on the first floor. This nearly deserted hotel located in the 7th arrondissement was a popular spot for artists at that time. Rodin selected this location for the museum that would house his works, as well as pieces from his private collection – works by Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. The museum opened to the public in November 1919.

Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840, in Paris’ 5th arrondissement, and is considered one of the most influential French sculptors. His work exemplifies the many stages and emotions involved in human existence, from birth to old age. No matter how many times I visit the museum, I am always moved by the intense emotion, struggle, anguish, and pain he presented in his works.

He was a poor student because he had undetected myopia (vision impairment), but showed an interest in drawing, so his parents enrolled him in Petite École, a Paris art school that is still open today. He studied there for three years, but it took him a while to become an artist and sculptor. He wanted to further his education in art, but was rejected three times by École des Beaux-Arts. He was discouraged, and one of his sisters had passed away around that time, so he joined a Catholic order. However, a priest determined that he was unfit for monastic life and encouraged him to return to his art.

His work took him to Belgium where he worked with Antoine-Joseph Van Rasbourgh, and then to Italy to study the works of Michelangelo. In 1908 he moved into the Hôtel Biron, and divided his time between his home and studio in Meudon, (not far from Paris) and the hotel. His home in Meudon is also a museum, and the two locations have thousands of his works.

As you can probably tell from the photos, some of his works are quite large. Others, like the body parts in the photos above, are the size of a human hand.

In the gardens you’ll find the Burghers of Calais, the Gates of Hell, the Thinker, and others.

Tickets for the museum run about €15 per person and include the garden, which has a full service restaurant. We visited on a Saturday morning in March and it was quite busy, so be sure to get an early start to avoid the crowds.

It was conveniently lunch time when we left the museum, so we starting walking in the direction of our hotel and stopped at the first restaurant we found, Le Standard. This cozy, comfortable restaurant has delicious food and very friendly servers.

theTravelsketcher had a beef dish called, Tigre qui pleure, the tiger who cries, and I had shrimp ravioli, both were delicious.

I think my favorites of Rodin’s works are Cathedral, Orphan, and the Kiss; do you have a favorite?

As always, I would love to hear from you.

All the best,

Tricia