Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Musée Rodin

When we're in Paris, John and I love to visit the  Musée Rodin housed in the Hôtel Biron (1728-1731) on the corner of rue de Varenne next door to Les Invalides.
It was leased by the city of Paris to sculptor, Auguste Rodin, in the final years of his career and since 1919 has been the museum of his work.
The 18th century house, empty of furnishings and filled with light from the huge French windows is the perfect setting to show off his sculptures.
The ground floor also is home to a number of wonderful sculptures by his lover and student, Camille Claudel. Above we see her powerful piece, The Age of Maturity, done after she was abandoned by her famous lover.
The architectural details of the high ceiling-ed formal rooms make for an exquisite setting for Rodin's work.
I find the space has a dream-like quality.
 Above and below we see my and John's photos of a Nude Study for Jean d'Aire (1886) in the dramatic setting. Pretty powerful!
 Few sculptors have succeeded at representational sculpture like Auguste.
The formal gardens surrounding the house and the nearby upper-class architecture all add to the experience of the museum, especially in May when the rose gardens are in full bloom.

1 comment:

  1. Isn't there a Rodin museum in Barrie, Ontario?

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