Dans le Jardin du Rodin

Paris. 

 City of Lights. City of Le Louvre, Laduree, Galleries Laffayette, Notre Dame, Le Champs d'Elyees. And love. Sweet, sweet love.  Paris is the city for lovers: Lovers of love, lovers of cuisine, lovers of petit chiens, but most of all, lovers of art.

The impressive views of Paris are on constant watch by these intimidating gargoyles.  Overlooking the streets and trespassors, they seem boastful of their fair city. Protective to a fault.  But when you visit Paris, you know that every street is fair game for romps, and freedom of expression. 

The museums of Paris are world famous for a reason. No matter how many books I flipped though in the stacks of community college instead of attending classes, nothing compares to the real thing. From street art to the massive never ending hallways of the Louvre to the Musee d'Orsay's  platforms of sculpture, Paris is an art lovers paradise.  Thus far, I have been to Paris a half dozen times at least, and last summer I entered a space that I can only describe as personally surprising.  Walking down the winding 7emme street away from the Musee d'Orsay one comes to the former Hotel Biron, previously the private home to the duchesse de Choiseul who knew Rodin personally.  In fact, it was his frequent visits to her home that gave him the idea to house his sculptures there.  Of course, getting her to approve was problematic for Rodin.  

Before it was her home, the structure had a history of being a private home to diplomats, and even had a run as a Lycee.  Later it returned to being a private residence for artists who shared the space such as Jean Cocteau, Henri Matisse, the actor de Max and lsadora Duncan who had her dancing school in a building nearby.  Claude Monet and other contemporaries of Rodin knew about this desire to create his own museum and supported his efforts.  Like most artists, he was creating and show of work that was ahead of its time, yet massively sought after.  It's hard to believe that in a city that celebrated Rodin's work was, at the same time, considered too racy and the 'work of the devil'.  The battle over where to house his sculptures finally placed his entire body of work into the hands of parliament,  moving all of it into the space where he wanted them to be, finally realizing his dream of creating a museum devoted solely to his work.  Of course the sad irony is, he died in 1919 just before this favorable decision was made.  It was only a few short years later, during the 1920's, that Paris became known as the avante garde hangout for artists, writers and  burlesque shows, with speakeasies popping up everywhere.  Rodin's work was popular and well know, and as the 20's roared in, became inspiration to another era of artists

Today we still appreciate Rodin for the master sculptor that he was.  His perfection in craftsmanship and ability to capture the human form clearly proves his understanding of human anatomy, however he superscedes this skill by including another element.  His work has an indescribably human feel to it.    One can look at the massive stone carved figure whose flesh looks as real as yours or mine.  Facial expressions so compelling, you are transported to a sympathetic understnding of a lovers embrace or the loneliness of a suffering mother, or the strength of a Roman god. 
If you are ever in Paris, visit the Musee Rodin.  To find out more about visiting hours, the history of Rodin and other practical information, visit the museum's website.