Rodin, the Gates of Hell

An imposing work (eight tons of bronze, over six metres high, two hundred and twenty seven figures), The Gates of Hell were always along Rodin's path. They were commissioned in 1880, he worked on them with enthusiasm during the subsequent years and by 1890 had arrived at what is considered the definitive version. Dominated by The Shades with their hands cut off to symbolise the despair which grasps the damned The Gates represent Hell as Dante had described it in the XIV^th century. Dante himself, or rather The Thinker, contemplates this world condemned to misery, in which only Paolo and Francesca, and Ugolino are identifiable in a mass of anonymous shadows. Whether or not the hundreds of figures modelled were finally incorporated in The Gates, they knew an independent existence and were the starting point for all Rodin's works.

During the artist's life-time The Gates of Hell were only shown once, in 1900, as a plaster cast. For inexplicable reasons Rodin took the decision not to replace the projecting parts. Since nearly all the figures are missing, what remains is an excellent example of a symbolist work quivering with light. Rodin preferred it so and it remained so to the end of this days, at Meudon where he had it transported and where it remains today.

The bronzes were cast from the complete version ; and today seven examples proclaim the artist's genius of course in Europe (Paris and Zurich), but also in America (Philadelphia and Stanford CA) and in the Far East (Tokyo and Shizuoka in Japan, and Seoul in Korea).