Rodin Museum

The Rodin Museum This summer I had the opportunity to visit the Rodin Museum for the first time and I was not sure what to expect. Our professor kept mentioning how August Rodin had been able to capture movement and emotion in his sculptures. To me, this seemed unrealistic for how could a sculpture look as if it was moving? The museum is located on the street Verenne in Paris. As soon as we entered the museum, we found ourselves in a garden full of Rodin’s artwork. I was amazed by the fist sculpture we encountered. This piece of artwork titled Burghers of Calais, told the story of six men who were to be executed by order of King Edward III. Rodin is able to marvelously capture the agony and anxiety felt by the six burghers who believed they were about to be killed. The sculpture is so beautifully executed that you feel as if the story is coming to life. Not far from this place we found The Gates of Hell, which was inspired by Dante’s famous work, Inferno. The figures found in this door transmit agony, suffering and desperation. On the other side of the garden we are able to see The Thinker on a larger scale. This sculpture is meant to represent Dante as he reflects over his poetic creation. After taking a moment to see all of the sculptures in the garden, we proceeded to the marvelous Hotel Biron. Inside, close to the staircase, the Walking Man is located. While standing in front of it, you could not help but think that the sculpture was walking towards you. It is impressive to see how Rodin is able to transmit motion by showing the flexion of muscles. This is something that was not seen before as the models of sculpture had been taken from those in ancient Greece where the sculptures were expected to have a smooth surface. Another of Rodin’s great qualities is his ability to convey emotion. This was something that was not visible in sculptures from the Renaissance period. I could not help but think of the sculpture we had previously seen at the Louvre titled the Dying Slave. This sculpture by Michelangelo did not transmit any emotion, although you might think you would see some emotion based on the title of the sculpture. The man seemed to be asleep instead of about to die. The Rebellious Slave, also by Michelangelo, seems to be trapped in the stone. This is not the case when we look at the sculptures by Rodin. The Prodigal Son, the Victory of War and The Kiss are all sculptures full of emotion and movement, which is what the artist meant to employ in his artwork.