Paris the city of light and love is also the city of museums. From the Louvre, Versailles and Musee Paris there are many museums worth visiting. One of these museums is the Rodin Museum, dedicated to the great French artisan and sculpture Auguste Rodin.
The sculptor
During his time, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was considered as the greatest living French sculptor. He was well loved by the people ushering modernity into a largely classical and renaissance influenced art. Rodin’s realism is in stark contrast to other past sculptures who were more enamored with mythology and allegory.
Rodin was also an expert in other mediums like sketches and paintings. But he was well-known for being a sculptor than being a painter.
The Museum
The museum was once an 18th century private residence where Rodin once lived. It is located in a garden walled from the bustle of Paris. A stone-throw away is the historic Invalides where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried.
The mansion was once owned by a rich Paris wigmaker, and then it passed ownership to the Catholic Church until it was transferred to the City of Paris.
The Thinker is the foremost sculpture which you will see when you go inside the museum’s garden. The Thinker is perhaps Rodin’s most famous work. Another masterpiece the Gates of Hell is also found in the museum garden.
There are about 6,000 sculptures made by Rodin which are displayed in the museum.
The collections are shared by this museum and the Villas de Brillants in Meudon which also served as Rodin’s home way back in 1895. His sculptures are mostly, terracotta, plaster, marble, wax, stoneware and bronze. The bronze and marble works including The Kiss which is another notable masterpiece are found and kept in in the Paris museum.
Sketches and drawing are also on display in the museum. Known as a sculpture, Rodin also dabbled in paintings and sketches.
Rodin found artistic delight in copying the work of Ruben; hence you will see some Ruben inspired works. He also likes to do portraits of close friends and his family.
Museum visits
The museum is open daily, all year, though winter and summer differs in their schedules of closing. Aside from exhibit the museum also holds art lectures and classes. There is a tour especially for children.
In 2008, the Rodin Museum was freshened up. Its aim was to restore the buildings and gardens in the original design when it opened in 1929. The restoration was taken from the plans and letters of original architects Pau Cret and Jacques Greber. The new architects OLIN and Partners plan to enhance the original design with prudence in being faithful to the past plans of Cret and Greber.
In the second stage of the restoration, the exterior was refurbished which includes repair works, cleaning and tuck-pointing the limestone façade.
The museum restoration project is now on its third phase. The collections are now undergoing further conservation process and curators and museum staff are designing new collaterals. By 2012 the museum will be reopened to the public.