Projects accomplished thanks to our sponsors

Many projects have been accomplished thanks to our sponsors, to whom we extend our grateful thanks. Here are a few examples.

Acquisition of the ‘national treasure’ I Am Beautiful

In early 2021, with the help of two sponsor companies, the museum acquired the national treasure I Am Beautiful (Je suis Belle. This original plaster sculpture is one of the first significant examples of the assemblage process that Rodin developed during the 1880s. The two figures that make up the sculpture, The Crouching Woman and The Falling Man, already appeared in The Gates of Hell,  but were assembled here to create a whole new piece.
I Am Beautiful was inspired by the first line of Charles Baudelaire’s poem ‘Beauty’, from The Flowers of Evil:

‘I am beautiful, O mortals! Like a dream carved in stone.’

Acquisition of Madame Roll

This portrait of Marie Roll, née Porcher, the wife of Rodin’s painter friend Alfred Roll (1846-1919), testifies to the friendship between the two artists.
This acquisition has joined the museum’s collection alongside the marble version of the same sculpture.

The plaster model was the prototype for the marble work, which has been on display since autumn 2020.

Contemporary decorative artworks commissioned for the Hôtel Biron

For the first time, contemporary art has found a permanent place in the Hôtel Biron! As parts of its original decoration were lost over the years, the aim of the project was to fill the empty over-door panels with contemporary decorative artworks that would fit well into this heritage building and be in harmony with Rodin’s art.
RThe three chosen artists – representing Africa, Europe and Asia – created works on the themes of earth, fire and water (elements essential to sculpture):/p>

• Earth – Barthélémy Toguo – Africa
• Fire – Jean-Paul Marcheschi – Europe
• Water – Li Xin – Asia

This invitation to artists representing three different continents was a means for the Musée Rodin to pay tribute to the universal nature of Rodin’s art.
These decorative works were installed in the Hôtel Biron in late 2020.

 ‘Rendez-vous chez Rodin’, promoting access to culture for all

On Sundays, schoolchildren, young people and adults who have already taken part in a guided group tour of the Musée Rodin can come back with their families and friends and be museum guides in their own turn! Over a thousand people have enjoyed a family visit to the museum as part of this specific cultural programme.