Rodin Museum visitor guide

Visit Rodin Museum, Paris

The Rodin Museum is an important museum in Paris dedicated to Auguste Rodin, the sculptor, and situated at 77 Rue de Varennes, near the hotel des Invalides and in the 7th Arrondissement.

Discover the Rodin Museum

France This Way review: the Rodin Museum is an impressive museum with several of the most famous works by the artist presented both in the landscaped gardens and in the mansion, and we highly recommend you visit as you explore the city: it is certainly among our favourite museums in Paris

The Thinker by Rodin

It is useful to be aware that from 1905, when France passed a law separating the State from religion, the building holding the museum passed to state ownership, and artists such as Rodin, Matisse and Jean Cocteau were authorised to work here. It is against this background that Rodin bequeathed many artworks to the state on his death, on condition that a museum dedicated to them was established in this building.

You can start your visit in the gardens with a look at many famous sculptures by Rodin, as well as numerous other works.

In the sculpture garden you can see many noteworthy sculptures such as The Thinker (Le Penseur), The Kiss, The Three Shadows and The Gate of Hell. Many of the less known sculptures in the gardens have information boards. I should also say, the large formal gardens would be an attraction in their own right, even if they did not contain all the sculptures!

If like me you are familiar with The Thinker and The Kiss, but not with The Gate of Hell, make sure to see this monumental work. It occupied many years of work for Rodin, and several of the other famous works by the artist such as The Thinker were first designed as part of this sculpture.

After exploring the gardens you can explore inside the 18th century mansion to see other smaller works of art, as well as plaster models and other studies for the sculptures.

As well as many works by Rodin, inside the mansion you will see various artworks by other artists, some well known such as Van Gogh and Monet, others less well known, but all very interesting.

Camille Claudel

You can also see works by Camille Claudel in the museum. Camille Claudel was a gifted sculptor as well as an assistant and pupil to Rodin, and his lover, towards the end of the 19th century, before her mental health declined. She largely held Rodin responsible for her lack of success, although these accusations have subsequently been shown to be incorrect.

In any case you can see that the works produced by Camille Claudel are of a very high standard, and she also helped Auguste Rodin with some of his most complicated and difficult sculptures, such as The Gates of Hell.

The Gate of Hell by Rodin

The closest metro station to the Rodin Museum is Varennes, on line 13 of the metro and about 100 metres north of the museum, along Boulevard des Invalides.