Leaving behind the imposing profile of the Invalides and walking between monumental buildings of various styles, it is possible to find the entrance of the Musée Rodin, which, reveals a green treasure embellished with famous outdoors statues and then opens on the splendid rooms and works.
The natural background gives to these works a distinguished appearance. The limbs look impressive and seem to live, acquiring a particularly attractive dimension according to the Director of the “Masterpieces in Motion” which details the evolution of Auguste Rodin’s production through a combination of iconic works. Like The Thinker, the most famous and photographed element of the garden, but also the Door of Hell, an extremely impressive sculptural passage which contain many detailed heart-warming characters, a collection of male nudes of high-impact plasticity, a solitary statue of the writer Balzac and some other works particularly enticing. The soul of this place dates back directly to the artist, who had already installed in this garden (at the time much more savage) some works with antique pieces from his collection, placed side by side. The independent access to the three acres of land (divided between the rose garden situated in the north of Hôtel Biron, the great central parterre distinguished by beautiful meadows geometry, the large terrace and a comfortable space for rest, reading and meditation) leads the visitors to appreciate the different evolutions of the context following the rhythm of the seasons.
Muse Rodin, jardin nu, ph Sara Rania
In addition to the works completely immersed in nature, there is also a gallery of marbles, divided into thematic nodes and protected by large windows, to be able to enjoy the beauty of the stones’ creations. Renovated several times in the 20th Century (the last in 1993) the garden can be traversed along two thematic routes that go from the east side to the west, the “Orpheus Garden” in which the vegetation and rocky elements intertwine, building a fascinating prelude to the statue “Orpheus begs the gods”; and the “Garden of Springs”, full of paths, flower well-maintained, benches and poetics water points.
It is not uncommon to meet in the Rodin garden students of history of art and artists that aim to capture on paper the emotions transmitted by the contact, sometimes only suggested, between the stones, the nature and the leaves in a continuous game of shadows that change permanently the aspect of the location. Even readers and writers are at home. It seems that nothing is able to inspire them more than the lapping of the water in the fountains and the sweet draft of the wind among the branches. The lace of light between the silhouettes of the trees brought almost mystical atmosphere to the place and probably made the garden a favourite destination for Parisians and foreign creatives. They flourished for a long walk in the trails imagining the tortured genius of Rodin and satisfying their thirst for inspiration in the footsteps of the great master, who knew how to give to the stone all the tenderness and violence of true love.
From|www.musee-rodin.fr
This post is also available in: Italian
