Contents
Auguste Rodin
Sculpting The Thinker, The Kiss and other figures that made emotion and the human body central to modern sculpture.
The Age of Bronze · The Gates of Hell
- Born
- 12 November 1840
- Birthplace
- Paris, France
- Died
- 17 November 1917
More people
Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor whose rough surfaces and expressive figures broke with polished academic convention. Years of decorative work preceded the public commissions that made him internationally known.
Early life
Drawing before sculpture
Attended the Petite École in Paris, studying drawing and modelling.
Rejected applications
Was refused admission to the École des Beaux-Arts three times and earned his living as a decorative craftsman.
Career
- 1860s–1870s
A craftsman’s apprenticeship
Worked on architectural decoration in France and Belgium.
- 1877
Public breakthrough
Exhibited The Age of Bronze, whose realism prompted accusations that it had been cast from a living model.
- 1880
A major state commission
Began The Gates of Hell, a project that generated many independent sculptures.
- 1900
International recognition
Mounted a major exhibition of his work alongside the Paris world’s fair.
Selected work
The Age of Bronze
A life-size standing figure that established his reputation.
The Gates of Hell
A monumental doorway inspired by Dante’s Inferno.
The Thinker
A seated figure developed from the doorway’s original poet.
The Burghers of Calais
A public monument presenting civic sacrifice through six individual figures.
Beyond the studio
Creative relationships
Camille Claudel worked with him and developed an important independent career; they also had a personal relationship.
A museum legacy
Donated his works and collection to the French state; the Musée Rodin opened after his death.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗Photo: George Charles Beresford. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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