Where Is Monument to Balzac? See It at This Museum

Q: Where can I see Rodin's Balzac?

Bronze casts are at the Musée Rodin in Paris (garden) and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other casts exist in various collections. The original plaster is at the Musée Rodin in Meudon.

Q: Why was the Balzac rejected?

The literary society that commissioned it expected a realistic portrait. Rodin instead delivered an abstract, massive cloaked figure that emphasized Balzac's creative power over his physical appearance. Critics at the 1898 Salon mocked it. Rodin considered it his most daring sculpture.

Q: How big is the Monument to Balzac?

The bronze stands 270 cm (about 9 feet) tall. Rodin spent seven years researching Balzac's body type, visiting his tailor, and studying portraits. He made over 40 studies before settling on the wrapped, monolithic form that so shocked audiences.

Auguste Rodin spent seven years on his portrait of the French novelist Honoré de Balzac, and the result nearly destroyed his reputation. The Société des Gens de Lettres commissioned it in 1891, expecting a conventional likeness. Rodin delivered a massive, cloaked figure with an abstracted face tilted upward, more like a force of nature than a man.

When unveiled at the 1898 Salon, critics called it a 'sack of plaster' and a 'snowman.' The literary society rejected it and hired another sculptor. Rodin considered it his boldest work and kept the plaster in his garden at Meudon. The first bronze cast wasn't made until 1939, decades after his death. Today, casts stand at the Musée Rodin in Paris and MoMA in New York.

Bronze casts are at the Musée Rodin in Paris (garden) and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Other casts exist in various collections. The original plaster is at the Musée Rodin in Meudon.

The literary society that commissioned it expected a realistic portrait. Rodin instead delivered an abstract, massive cloaked figure that emphasized Balzac's creative power over his physical appearance. Critics at the 1898 Salon mocked it. Rodin considered it his most daring sculpture.

The bronze stands 270 cm (about 9 feet) tall. Rodin spent seven years researching Balzac's body type, visiting his tailor, and studying portraits. He made over 40 studies before settling on the wrapped, monolithic form that so shocked audiences.

Monument to Balzac

Details

The Artist

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About Monument to Balzac

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