Paris: Private Rodin Museum Tour with Sculpture Garden｜France

Begin your tour inside the sumptuous Hôtel Biron, a short walk from Les Invalides. Auguste Rodin used this building as his primary studio near the end of his life. Shortly before he died in 1917, Rodin bequeathed thousands of his sculptures to the French government for safekeeping. The Rodin Museum now houses thousands of Rodin’s most iconic sculptures as well as archival documents, photos, and stunning artworks from Rodin’s personal art collection.

As you explore the many works housed inside the Hôtel Biron, learn how Rodin’s realistic style shocked the 19th-century art establishment. Amazingly, critics once speculated Auguste Rodin placed molds directly on human models to make his sculptures so lifelike. Rodin’s first major sculpture to spark this controversy was The Age of Bronze, which was partially inspired by Michelangelo’s Slaves.

While admiring the Rodin sculptures currently on display, take a few moments to look through the many photographs, paintings, and artifacts from Rodin’s collection. As Rodin achieved fame later in life, he began to acquire many significant works from the Ancient World as well as paintings by famous contemporary artists like Monet, Van Gogh, and Charles Cottet. A few rare paintings that are sometimes on display include Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Père Tanguy and Monet’s Belle-Île.

In addition to housing Rodin’s sculptures and art collection, the Rodin Museum has a special wing dedicated to the work of Camille Claudel. A revolutionary sculptor in her own right, Claudel studied in Rodin’s studio in the late 19th century. If it’s not on loan, then you might get to see Claudel’s masterpiece The Mature Age, which some critics speculate was inspired by her affair with Rodin.

When you finish your tour inside Hôtel Biron, your guide will lead you outside to the beautifully arranged sculpture garden. Here you might get to see a few works from Rodin’s unfinished Gates of Hell series such as the world-renowned Thinker. You might also get to see a cast of the Burghers of Calais, which depicts a powerful scene of self-sacrifice during the Hundred Years’ War. Spend as much time as you need in this relaxing garden before heading back to the streets of Paris.