Auguste Rodin

AKA:

The Founder of Modern Sculpture

Birth Name:

François Auguste René Rodin

Birth Date:

November 12, 1840

Birth Place:

17 rue de l'Arbalète, Paris, France

Death Date:

November 17, 1917

Place of Death:

La Villa des Brillants, Meudon, France

Age:

Cause of Death:

Pulmonary edema

Cemetery Name:

La Villa des Brillants

Claim to Fame:

Artists

Associates:

Camille Claudel

Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture, lived a life marked by perseverance, innovation, and profound artistic evolution. Born into a modest family in Paris, Rodin struggled academically and faced repeated rejection from the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. These early setbacks shaped his self-reliant approach, encouraging him to pursue training through practical work rather than formal schooling. He spent many years as a craftsman and ornamental sculptor, quietly honing the technical mastery that would later underpin his revolutionary style. Later in life, his studio became a hub of creative exploration, supported by numerous assistants, collaborators, and pupils. Among them was Camille Claudel, a brilliant sculptor whose artistic and personal relationship with Rodin had a lasting impact on both their careers. He is known for such sculptures as The Thinker, Monument to Balzac, The Kiss, The Burghers of Calais, and The Gates of Hell.

Fun Fact

La Villa des Brillants was Rodin’s home for the last 20 years of his life. Near the villa is a “tactile gallery” where visitors can explore resin reproductions of sculptures by touch. Further down the garden, the plaster gallery offers an immersive experience of Rodin’s art: his sculptures are displayed in their successive states, illustrating the various stages of his creative process. Rodin’s tomb, surmounted by The Thinker, is located in the vast park overlooking the Seine valley.

In 1923, Marcell Tirel, Rodin’s secretary, published a book alleging that Rodin’s death was largely due to cold, and the fact that he had no heat at Meudon. Rodin requested permission to stay in the Hotel Biron, a museum of his works, but the director of the museum refused. On 16 November his physician announced that “congestion of the lungs has caused great weakness. The patient’s condition is grave.” Rodin died the next day, age 77, at his villa in Meudon, Île-de-France, on the outskirts of Paris.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

La Villa des Brillants

19 ave Auguste Rodin 92190

Meudon, Département des Hauts-de-Seine,

France

Europe

Grave Location:

Rodin Family Plot

Grave Location Description

As you enter the property, you will pass Rodin’s home on the right, continue on veering towards the right then take a left turn down the main walkway to the end of the property.

Grave Location GPS

48.815070, 2.250934

Visiting The Grave:

Photos:

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FAQ's

Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840.

Auguste Rodin was born in 17 rue de l'Arbalète, Paris, France.

Auguste Rodin died on November 17, 1917.

Auguste Rodin died in La Villa des Brillants, Meudon, France.

Auguste Rodin was 77.

The cause of death was Pulmonary edema.

Auguste Rodin's grave is in La Villa des Brillants

Videos Featuring Auguste Rodin:

Paris, France: The Rodin Museum

Auguste Rodin - Filmed Sculpting in his Studio (1915)

Camille Claudel vs Auguste Rodin | Duels of History

Auguste Rodin: Modeler and Sculptor | Full Documentary

What Happened To Rodin's Eternal Spring From Antiques Roadshow?

Watch YouTube video titled The Tragedy of Camille Claudel - a Genius who Died in an Insane Asylum

Auguste Rodin