Featured Work of Art
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917)
The Burghers of Calais, modeled 1884–95, this cast 1985
Bronze
82 1/2 x 94 x 95 in. (209.6 x 238.8 x 241.3 cm)
Gift of Iris and B. Gerald Cantor, 1989 (1989.407)
Collection Areas: European Art; European Art, Nineteenth-Century; French Art
Subject Areas: Visual Arts, English Language Arts, World History
Grades: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Topics/Themes: Identity, Stories in Art, Artist Choices
Goals
Students will be able to
- examine pose and facial expressions as tools for analyzing works of art; and
- utilize the figures in the sculpture as a springboard for a creating a first-person narrative.
National Standards
Visual Arts – Understanding the Visual Arts in Relation to History and Culture
Visual Arts – Making Connections between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
English Language Arts – Reading for Perspective
English Language Arts – Communication Skills
English Language Arts – Communication Strategies
English Language Arts – Applying Language Skills
World History – Era 7: An Age of Revolutions, 1750–1914
Questions for Viewing
- Look closely at the figures. What do you notice about their clothing? What associations does it bring to mind?
- How are the figures posed? What do you notice about their facial expressions?
- How does the sculpture make you feel?
- How would you describe the relationships between the figures?
- Where do you imagine they are standing?
- How might the impact of this work change if it were small enough to rest on a table?
- In 1885 the town council of the French city of Calais commissioned Auguste Rodin to produce a sculpture that would pay tribute to the leading citizens, or burghers, of Calais, heroes of the Hundred Years’ War and symbols of French patriotism. If you were given the same commission as Rodin, how would you choose to tell the story? (See story in the teacher resource.)
- What do you think Rodin hoped to convey through this sculpture?
Activity
Read the story of the burghers of Calais listed in the resource section. Looking back at the sculpture, choose one figure to focus on. Recreate the figure’s pose and facial expression. Consider how this pose makes you feel. Write a first-person narrative of the figure you chose to represent. Collect the stories and read a few aloud. See if you can guess which figure’s voice is expressed in each account.
Materials: Pencils, paper
Activity Setting: Classroom or Museum
Resources
Benedek, Nelly Silagy. Auguste Rodin—The Burghers of Calais: A Resource for Educators. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Download the resource.
Rosenblum, Robert, and H. W. Janson. Nineteenth-Century Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2005.
Vincent, Clare. "Auguste Rodin (1840–1917)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. (October 2004) (Includes an extensive reading list along with links to Metropolitan Museum Bulletins and Journals)
Related Object
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917)
Adam, modeled 1880; this cast 1910
Bronze
76 1/4 x 29 1/2 x 30 1/2 in. (194.3 x 74.9 x 77.5 cm)
Gift of Thomas F. Ryan, 1910 (11.173.1)
Author: Adapted from Auguste Rodin: The Burghers of Calais: A Resource for Educators
Affiliation: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Date: 2000
