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So far so good….but my lasting take away from this exhibition was the ground-breaking nature of the Burghers of Calais. Who knew!? An iconic sculpture, oft exhibited, I had always viewed it as a fairly traditional memorial; a commission to commemorate the readiness of the leaders of Calais to die in order to spare their townsfolk.
Whilst this was essentially the purpose of the commission, the original request was actually for a memorial to one of the individuals, Eustace de Saint-Pierre. Upon receipt of such a specific request, it would have been much more normal at the time to do as was asked and commemorate the individual in question. Rodin’s first extraordinary choice, then, was to depict the collective sacrifice rather than the individual, choosing to depict all six men – St Pierre and five fellow citizens - who volunteered for execution.
A second novelty: each figure was first modelled unclothed. Tunics were then dipped in plaster and the figures “dressed” in these new clothes, thereby confronting the viewer with the weak, emaciated bodies of the men being led to their death; vulnerable and hopeless.
Initially the Burghers were to be erected on a plinth; a traditional way to install a sculpture, clear for all to see. Instead, in what was then another deliberate and revolutionary break with tradition, Rodin chose to remove the plinth and place them on the same level as the viewer. These men were human. Common men with whom we should identify. A sculpture genuinely made for public consumption.
Two weeks after my visit to this exhibition, in a moment of unplanned symmetry, I found myself in Paris and no visit there is complete without a pilgrimage to the Musée Rodin. The sun was shining and the gardens were peaceful, absent the usual volume of tourists. It is a fairly “relaxed” museum where I always feel like you can take your time and wander at your own pace. And whilst I did just that, I was very conscious that I now wandered with a slightly different perspective.
I took a closer look at the Gates of Hell, gave a knowing nod to the Three Shades, and most importantly paid due homage to the Burghers of Calais.
The Making of Rodin is on at Tate Modern until 21 November 2021