Le Meurice I N T H E FO OT S T E P S O F L E GE NDA RY A RT IS T S
Rodin
As the hotel of artists and thinkers, this is one of a series of walking tours with Le Meurice following in the footsteps of legendary artists in Paris.
L E T T HE D I S C OV E RY B E G I N
AUGUSTE RODIN IN HIS STUDIO, CIRCA 1905 Photo by Albert Harlingue
Rodin – Love and Torment Auguste Rodin lived a life full of contrasts, of dazzling highs and shattering lows. An introverted perfectionist – so much so that he missed commission deadlines by whole years – he pushed himself hard, transcending his humble beginnings to achieve glittering recognition and awards. He was, however, often plagued with rejection and disappointment, and rather sensitive to criticism for someone who attracted so much scandal, both personally and professionally. Rodin was born and died in Paris. The enigmatic artist’s discreet but hugely influential presence can be felt throughout the city. His busts and portraits are hidden in nooks and crannies, as well as adorning the Musée Rodin and the façades of Hôtel de Ville and Théâtre des Gobelins. While in the Tuileries Garden, you may be lucky enough to stumble across a life-size cast of ‘The Kiss’ just a stone’s throw from Le Meurice. As the hotel of artists and thinkers, we invite you to discover the most celebrated sculptural ‘Thinker’ of all. On a bespoke private walking trail, your guide will eagerly dissect the political wrangling behind many of Rodin’s official commissions, the intricacies of his bronze casting, his tormented love affair with Camille Claudel, and the captivating autobiographical themes that lie within almost all of his sculptures.
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Rejected three times from the École des Beaux-Arts, Rodin had little choice but to begin his career as a mason. He worked for established sculptor Albert-Ernest CarrierBelleuse, and by night pursued his own investigations with less expensive materials. Rodin’s talent eventually set him apart and his career – spanning over nearly four decades – took off on a trajectory including trips to Rome, Brussels and London, providing vital education and inspiration. Years of intensive study bore fruit when he established his own studio in what is now the Musée Rodin. Dancing between doubt and self-belief, between official commissions and his own artistic experimentation, the characteristic style Rodin developed proved unique and distinctly ‘modern’. He broke all the academic rules – flattening perspectives, fragmenting and elongating limbs, contorting necks and obsessively studying the expressive potential of a model’s hands and feet – in a quest to tell a story without words, one that viewers could immediately comprehend. His aim was to give his sculptures the sensation of life, to look as if they breathed. Unsure how to react at first, contemporary critics and audiences were horrified that his figures looked ‘too real’. They even suspected that Rodin had moulded plaster casts from real people!
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AUGUSTE RODIN, LE BAISER, MARBLE Photo by Eugène Fiorillo. Musée Rodin, Paris
CAMILLE CLAUDEL (LEFT) AND JESSIE LIPSCOMB IN THEIR STUDIO AT 117 RUE NOTRE-DAME-DES-CHAMPS, 1887 Photo by William Elborne
By the time of Rodin’s death in 1917, he had become the pre-eminent French sculptor of his generation. Today, he is often referred to as the ‘father of modern sculpture’. A distinguished roster of sculptors have been influenced by Rodin; from Constantin Brâncuşi and Alberto Giacometti to Georg Baselitz and Antony Gormley. No student, however, would have as symbiotic or turbulent a relationship with Rodin as Camille Claudel – a beautiful and prodigiously talented young artist, whose skills developed quickly under his tutelage. Rodin fell in love with her almost immediately and she soon matched him in his passion. They became so entwined that it was unclear which artist influenced the other the most, with each work appearing as a declaration, criticism or echo of the sculpture before. As with almost all tales of love that burn as brightly and as quickly as theirs did, the ending is tragically one of woe; for Rodin refused to leave his partner for Claudel. Tormented, she became increasingly reclusive and paranoid until she was eventually committed to an asylum. Many of Claudel’s sculptures remain on permanent view at the Musée Rodin, where you can be the judge of how deeply their passion ran.
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Enjoy a private walking tour created exclusively for guests of Le Meurice. Your passionate, knowledgeable guide has over ten years of experience in the art world and can adapt the pace and content of the tour to you. For all levels of interest, from the mildly curious, seeking easy conversation and a stroll through the picturesque streets of Paris, to Rodin aficionados wanting to follow in the footsteps of the legendary artist and find answers to their burning questions.
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AUGUSTE RODIN’S MEUDON STUDIO, Photo by Jacques Ernest Bulloz. Musée Rodin, Paris
Rodin – Love and Torment includes: One-night stay in a room or suite for two people American breakfast, including Cédric Grolet pastries Two-hour expert guided tour Two entry tickets to Musée Rodin From €1,330 for two per night
For reservations or information, please contact Le Meurice: + 33 (0)1 87 16 44 59 reservations.LMP@dorchestercollection.com
Tours can be extended to a full day or split over two half-days on request. Entry tickets to Musée Rodin will be arranged. Offer subject to availability and terms & conditions.
I M AG E C R E D I T S : Auguste Rodin, 1862, photo by Charles Hippolyte Aubry. Alamy Stock Photo. Auguste Rodin in his studio, circa 1905, photo by Albert Harlingue. Alamy Stock Photo. Auguste Rodin, Le Baiser, marble, photo by Eugène Fiorillo. Musée Rodin, Paris. © Musée Rodin. Camille Claudel (left) and Jessie Lipscomb in their studio at 117 rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, 1887, photo by William Elborne. Alamy Stock Photo. Auguste Rodin’s Meudon studio, photo by Jacques Ernest Bulloz. Musée Rodin, Paris. © Musée Rodin.