The Thinker among the roses
The modern world's most famous statue seated facing the golden Invalides dome — the placement Rodin chose himself.
Jean-Pierre Dalbéra — CC BY 2.0 · Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire) — Public domain · Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire) — Public domain · madras91 — CC BY 2.0
This is precisely the museum for non-sculpture people: a country-house garden in central Paris, a café among roses, and works that read as human stories rather than art objects. Few places surprise their own visitors into recommending them more.
On a sunny, time-poor day: the garden holds The Thinker, the Gates and Calais — Rodin's essence in open air. The full ticket adds The Kiss, Claudel and the mansion's story; with time to spare, no debate.
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The loveliest museum in Paris is neither its biggest nor most famous: the country-house Hôtel Biron with its three-hectare garden, where Auguste Rodin spent his last years and bequeathed France his entire œuvre on condition the mansion become his museum — producing a place visited for art, garden and serenity in equal measure. In the garden his masterpieces stand in the open air as he wished: The Thinker brooding on his pedestal among the roses, The Gates of Hell — thirty-seven years of work from whose details most of his famous figures emerged — and The Burghers of Calais with their burdened faces. Through the mansion's luminous rooms follow The Kiss, The Cathedral hands, and the sculptures of Camille Claudel — his brilliant student and partner, at last given her own room of justice. The guaranteed side effect: even visitors indifferent to sculpture leave moved. And for the short of time or budget, a cheap garden-only ticket buys an hour among the roses and The Thinker worth a full visit.
The modern world's most famous statue seated facing the golden Invalides dome — the placement Rodin chose himself.
Thirty-seven years of unfinished labour: two hundred bodies writhing over a bronze portal, from which The Thinker and The Kiss first sprang before standing alone.
A genius long buried by her era — The Age of Maturity and The Wave in a room restoring her place beside her master, not in his shadow.
Rue de Varenne, beside Les Invalides, 75007 Paris