Description of the attraction
The Rodin Museum, located on two sites - in Paris and the Parisian suburb of Meudon, contains the largest collection of works by the great sculptor. The Paris Museum is housed in the Biron mansion, a true gem of Rocaille architecture.
The mansion was built in the 30s of the 18th century for the wealthy financier de Mora. The building project was created under the supervision of the royal architect Jean Aubert. Located on the border of Paris, the house was both urban and suburban. After Mora's death, the estate was bought by the future Marshal Biron. He worked extensively on a plot of three hectares, and the garden on this plot is still considered one of the most beautiful in Paris. Then the owners of the house changed several times.
In 1904, the mansion was once again put up for sale and, pending a buyer, was rented out. Among the tenants were Henri Matisse, Jean Cocteau, Isadora Duncan. In 1908, Auguste Rodin rented four rooms in the mansion on the first floor - facing south, with access to the terrace, to be used as a studio. Rodin liked the wild garden, and he exhibited some of his works and part of the collection of antique sculpture among the trees.
In 1911, the mansion was sold to the state for the needs of the Ministry of Public Education. Rodin did not want to leave his favorite house and offered the government a deal: “I give the state all my works in plaster, marble, bronze and stone and my drawings, as well as the collection of antique sculpture … And I ask the state to keep these collections in Biron's mansion, which will become the Rodin Museum, leaving me the right to live there all my life."
France took this step, but Rodin did not have long to live in his beloved mansion: he died in 1917. Two years later, the Rodin Museum was officially opened.
The museum contains 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 6,000 works of antiquity, 8,000 old photographs, as well as paintings by Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir from Rodin's personal collection. The most famous works of the sculptor are exhibited here - "The Kiss", "Citizens of Calais", "The Gates of Hell" and, of course, "The Thinker", sitting in his famous pose in the magnificent garden of Biron's mansion. You can sit next to the bench and also think about life.
