It is worth dropping by the old mansion of Marshal Biron, located not far from Les Invalides in Paris, for at least one incredibly important reason – about 300 works by the great Auguste Rodin are exhibited on the grounds of the house and in the park around it.

At the beginning of the XX century, Auguste Rodin settled in this mansion and spent a significant part of his life here. The sculptor gained recognition only toward the end of his life, and with that recognition came the opportunity to create freely. The state acquired the Biron Mansion and established the Rodin Museum there, whose permanent exhibition contains the main body of the great sculptor's works. Among the most famous are “The Thinker,” “The Gates of Hell,” “The Three Shades,” “The Kiss,” a plaster statuette of Vaslav Nijinsky, and monuments to Hugo and Balzac.

“The Thinker” made Rodin's name immortal. Every museum visitor is certain to encounter it. There is no need to hunt for it, no need to search it out. It immediately catches the eye at the entrance to the park. This sculpture overwhelms onlookers. The moment they notice it, tourists run to it to pose and take pictures. So it is better to come back to it later, when the tour group that has just entered has moved on.

The Thinker sits surrounded by many roses. Toward the end of spring, the roses gradually begin to bloom, flower all summer, and slowly wither in autumn. For many years now, their petals have fallen under the Thinker's gaze, and he sees this endless cycle of life and death again and again…

By the way, not everyone knows that this statue, like many others, is only a detail of the grand sculptural composition “The Gates of Hell,” which the master worked on for more than 30 years.

It is incredibly difficult to talk about the exhibits of the Rodin Museum. The story of each sculpture is a whole novel. The description of each detail is an anatomy of passion. Photographs cannot convey the feeling. Marble and bronze seem alive. Emotional and tense, many figures contrast sharply with the calming park. Here it is better not to hurry, because every sculpture, every detail deserves attention.

Besides “The Thinker” at the entrance-exit, you can also see “The Burghers of Calais” – a monument to self-sacrifice and the human spirit. The story to which the monument is dedicated took place during the Hundred Years' War. Then the English king forced the city of Calais to surrender by siege. He ordered the six most distinguished townsmen to come before him and warned that he would execute them as a lesson to the others. If no volunteers were found, the victor would destroy the city. Six volunteers were found. They were ready to sacrifice themselves to save the city. But they did not yet know that the queen would plead with Philip not to execute them. It is this moment that was captured in bronze.

At the mansion, Marshal de Biron, a great lover of flowers and landscape design, ordered an English garden to be laid out, where he hosted brilliant receptions and festivities. Later, high-society balls were replaced by fashion shows for Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and H&M collections. And the park delights visitors to this day. It is beautiful and magnificent – you can feel that a lot of effort and care went into its creation. Families come to the garden to spend a fine day, or alone to wander the shady alleys and be alone with themselves and nature. In the depths of the garden you can always find a place where there is silence and peace. At first many people try to walk through the garden according to a plan or a guidebook. But then they abandon the idea. Even without a plan you will surely find something curious. And for tired tourists, a discovered bench or deck chair will be just what is needed. We should warn you right away that the main part of the park is “hidden” and lies on the south side of the Biron Mansion, opposite the entrance to the Rodin Museum.

If you are reading this article, it seems that a standard visit to the Louvre or the Orsay Museum is no longer quite enough for you, and you want places that are more exclusive :) In that case, we recommend using the services of private guides. Believe us, it is not as expensive as it might seem, and their company will help you discover France from completely unexpected angles. Say, what do you think about a trip to the famous fortress on Mont-Saint-Michel island? And how about a walk through the best pastry shops and bakeries of Paris? Or perhaps you would not mind going to dinner at Moulin Rouge? ;)

And in closing, we would like to tell you the love story of maestro Rodin and his Muse. It is very hard to come up with any introduction or moral, because any such story lies beyond rules and beyond stereotypes. Such was the story of Camille Claudel, the muse of the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin. He kept a fond memory of her until the end of his life, while she cursed him, blaming him for her ruined life and unfulfilled creative destiny.

Camille was born in a small French village into a family of wealthy bourgeois. From childhood she was fascinated by sculpture and modeled clay figurines. After her family moved to Paris, Camille's talent was noticed by the sculptor Boucher and he took her on as a student. And two years later came her fateful meeting with Auguste Rodin. At first the girl became the sculptor's model, then his assistant. And finally, his secret lover… For a long time, neither Camille's relatives nor Rodin's common-law wife Rose Beuret suspected anything. Rose was a simple, poorly educated woman, Camille was her complete opposite, lively, witty, charming…

Auguste and Camille began spending more and more time together, and rented a new studio - a love nest for the lovers. Only nine years after their affair began did everything come to light. A tremendous scandal broke out. Then Camille set a condition: either her, or Rose… Rodin chose to stay with Rose, the mother of his son.

Camille, meanwhile, left her lover and rented a small apartment not far from his studio. There she spent months working on her sculptures. But unlike the creations of maestro Rodin, not one of them ever became famous. Camille found herself on the brink of poverty. Gradually, signs of mental illness began to appear. Camille became consumed by the obsessive idea that Rodin was persecuting her and wanted to kill her. It seemed to her that Rodin was mocking her, that he was altering her old works and passing them off as his own… Despair, depression… Camille sat locked inside for days on end. Friends brought her food, slipping it under the door. Again and again she tried to sculpt statues, but nothing worked and in fury she smashed them to pieces. Shards lay everywhere. Camille Claudel was taken to an asylum, where she spent the last years of her life. The woman was convinced that Auguste Rodin was responsible for her misfortune.

And Rodin was never able to forget Camille. He took the breakup hard, tried to win back his beloved, invited her to social events, but Camille would not even open the door to him. Then he began sculpting his beloved from memory, and tried to exhibit her works… Later, the great sculptor visited his former lover in the asylum, but she rejected him, after which doctors advised him not to seek another meeting. Camille's brother, a famous writer and diplomat, brought her clay. The woman tried to sculpt something again, but then gave up the occupation. She withdrew into herself and never touched her work again for the rest of her life…

Today, in the Rodin Museum, alongside his works, you can see sculptures created by Camille. This was done according to the master's will. Perhaps in this way he wanted to immortalize the name of the woman he loved alongside his own celebrated name. And in 1988, the wonderful French film “Camille Claudel” was released, in which Isabelle Adjani played Claudel and Gerard Depardieu played Rodin.

With this, we conclude our story about the life and work of the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin. If you are in Paris, be sure to stop by the Biron Mansion! And for those who want to learn even more fascinating stories about the French capital, we recommend downloading the Ever.Travel mobile app, where you will find not only detailed descriptions of attractions and walking routes around the city, but also an audio guide to Paris!