The Weeping Burgher (Andrieu d'Andres)

Auguste Rodin

modeled 1885, cast ca. 1908–9 · Bronze, green patina · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This is a reduced version of one of the figures of the monumental group The Burghers of Calais (see 1989.407), modeled between 1884 and 1885 and unveiled at Calais in 1895. Rodin sought to represent varying degrees of heroism and grief in The Burghers of Calais. While some figures embody stoic self-sacrifice, others succumb to fear. This figure, unable to disguise his emotional distress, externalizes the suffering of his brethren by grasping his bowed head with massive, outstretched hands.

Artist

Auguste Rodin

Date

modeled 1885, cast ca. 1908–9

Medium

Bronze, green patina

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Miss G. Louise Robinson, 1940