Rodin Museum Constrained To Sell Bronzes To Survive The Crisis

The Rodin Museum reopened its doors after selling some bronzes to cope with the crisis.

© Photo by

On July 7, the Rodin Museum reopened its doors. Following the debate on the sale of certain bronzes, the Rodin Museum issued a press release, re-affirming that the bronzes on sale are not works from its permanent collection — which are in the public domain and as such inalienable and imprescriptible — but original works in bronze produced from the original moulds or models bequeathed by the sculptor. 

The Rodin Museum is the only French national museum that is self-financing for all its operations and salaries. The practice of publishing and selling Rodin's original bronze works has existed for more than a hundred years and its development is not linked to the health crisis. These editions are carried out in strict compliance with regulations (limited to twelve copies) and Rodin's moral rights. The museum ensures that the artist's moral rights are respected, and takes legal action in the event of counterfeiting. 

This mission, given by Rodin, aimed in his mind to ensure the survival of his museum and to contribute to the international diffusion of his work. The collections built up by Thomas Fortune Ryan for the Metropolitan Museum in New York, by Jules Mastbaum for the Philadelphia Museum and by Gerald B. Cantor for the Iris & Gerald B. Cantor Center for Visual Arts in Stanford, the Museum of Western Art in Tokyo and the Prefectural Museum of Art in Shizuoka, Japan, are the result of this activity of edition of original works. They are not replicas or reproductions, but original works.

The museum has also set up an online donation campaign to participate in the restoration of its collections and thus pursue its missions. More information is available on the museum website. An affordable and a must-go artistic paradise if visiting Paris.