Rodin Garden

This courtyard brings together a collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917) gifted to the Museum by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Often recognized as the father of modern sculpture, Rodin began his artistic training at the age of 14 before applying to the Paris Academy in 1857. He failed to gain entrance three times and instead began a long period of training and collaboration with Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse in 1864. His early works were refused by the prestigious Paris Salon (the main venue for exhibiting art at the time) because of their intense realism. Though the emotional and realistic qualities of Rodin’s sculptures made it difficult for him to gain success at the beginning of his career, they became hallmarks of his style and are the reason for his lasting fame and influence on other sculptors. In 1880 Rodin received a commission for a monumental sculpted door called *The Gates of Hell* from the French government. His designs for it produced some of his most famous sculptures, including *The Three Shades*, a version of which is on view in this courtyard.