Exhibitions at Rodin Museum Paris 2023 | Current & Upcoming Shows

Making Of Rodin

This exhibition displays the experimental works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin revealing a new side of his art that goes on to change the modern art form. His works during the 20th century mostly broke the rules of classical sculpture. His works created an image of the human body mirroring the complexities and uncertainties of the modern age. Along with his plaster works, Auguste Rodin has worked on bronze and marble sculptures where he captures light, volume, and movement. Focusing on the importance of plaster in the works of Auguste Rodin, this exhibition evokes the atmosphere in the artist’s studio. It is the first exhibition to do so.

Dates: 18 May to 21 November 2021

Exhibition Locations: Tate Modern, The Eyal Ofer Galleries

Rodin In His Garden

The collection included 35 photo prints of Hotel Biron and its garden, where Auguste Rodin lived. The rare photographs were commissioned by Rodin to publicize and document his work. Statues featured include Burghers of Calais and Victor Hugo. The work is a compilation of four photographers, including the legendary Jacques-Ernest Bulloz.

Dates: 1 August to November 29, 2020

Barbara Hepworth

The monographic exhibition on famed British sculptor Barbara Hepworth was held in association with the Tate art gallery in the UK. Barbara Hepworth is known for her revolutionary aesthetic sensibility. Her works are abstract with the common theme of an ideal and peaceful world. Most of her works centered around nature, especially the plant world. Barbara Hepworth and her husband Ben Nicholson were very active in the Paris art scene.

Dates: 5 November 2019 to March 22, 2020

Curators: Catherine Chevillot, Sara Matson

Cut-outs

The exhibition featured over 250 cut-outs Auguste Rodin created before immortalizing sculptors. The paper cut-outs and drawings were key to Rodin's work. Previous exhibitions have also displayed over 7500 paper drawings of Rodin. His mode of work was coloring figures, arranging them, and assembling them together before sculpting. These cut-outs acted as the base of Rodin's artworks. He often layered the cut-outs to create three-dimensional figures to perfect his sculpture.

Dates: 6 November 2018 to 7 April 2019

Curators: Sophie Biass-Fabiani

Rodin & Dance

In this first-of-its-kind exhibition in 2018, Musée Rodin showcased Auguste Rodin's art series known as Dance Movements. It has never been shown to the public in Rodin's lifetime and includes a selection of 50 drawings. Rodin was a fan of dancing as a transcending art form. He has befriended professionals like Isadora Duncan, Loïe Fuller, Japanese dancer Hanko and watched the Cambodian Royal Ballet in action. This series includes sculptures, photographs, and drawings.

Dates: 7 April to 22 July 22, 2018

Curators: Christine Lancestremère

Hell According to Rodin

Hell According to Rodin is an interpretation of Auguste Rodin's work The Gates of Hell. This collection featured over 170 art pieces, including 60 rare drawings. These drawings, the blueprint of the works, have rarely been shown to visitors. To create this exhibition, the museum has restored some of the sculptures related to the artwork. The Gates of Hell is a bronze sculpture with over 200 figurines.

Dates: 18 October to 22 January 2017

Curators: François Blanchetière

Robert Doisneau, Sculptors and Sculptures

'Robert Doisneau, sculptors and sculptures' exhibition explored the iconic photographer's association with Rodin Museum. In 1993, six months before his death, Robert Doisneau used Rodin's home Villa des Brillants as a backdrop for his photos for a comic book series. Two years after Doisneau's death, the book was published. The exhibition features these photos, among other images he clicked.

Dates: 14 March to 22 November, 2015

Curators: Hélène Pinet, Cyrielle Durox

Mapplethorpe-Rodin

The Mapplethorpe-Rodin exhibition focused on the creative genius of Auguste Rodin and iconic American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The exhibition conducted in association with Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation featured 50 sculptures of Rodin and a collection of 102 photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe. The exhibition's major themes were selected based on the commonalities in the works of both artists. It included aspects like movement, black and white, eroticism, and damnation.

Dates: 8 April to September 2014

Curator: Hélène Pine, Judith Benhamou-Huet, Hélène Marraud

Camille Claudel Comes Out Of The Reserve Collections

Camille Claudel comes out of the reserve collections is an exhibition hosted by the Rodin Museum in Paris, highlighting the artistic genius of French sculptor Camille Claudel. The exhibition was held between 2013 and 2014, on the 70th anniversary of Camille Claudel's death, and featured as many as 20 art pieces on display. Some of the artworks were donated by her brother Paul Claudel, and the rest were acquired by Rodin Museum.

Dates: 1 October 2013 to 5 January 2014

Erik Samakh

Notable French artist Erik Samakh was invited to exhibit his works at Musée Rodin Garden in 2013. The collection named Between Nature and Sculpture explored the unconventional approach of Erik Samakh. Erik Samakh is a postwar and contemporary artist who focuses on nature. His works extended to over 25 years and were primarily involved in gathering images and sounds in natural settings.

Dates: 18 May 18 to 27 October 2013

Curators: Catherine Chevillot, Amélie Lavin

Rodin Flesh & Marble

The rare exhibition Rodin, Flesh, and Marble at Rodin Museum focused on over 60 marble statues and preparatory studies of Auguste Rodin. The exhibition was held from 2012 to 2013 during the renovation of Hôtel Biron. The collection came from private entities and was arranged by scenographer and artist Didier Faustino. This exhibition showcased Rodin's famous works, such as The Kiss and The Danaïd in marble.

Dates: 8 June 2012 to 1 September 2013

Curators: Aline Magnien

Paul Armand Gette

Renowned French artist Paul-Armand Gette was featured in the 2011 exhibition titled Artemis and her Nymphs at Rodin Museum. Paul-Armand Gette, whose works explored themes such as nature, mythology, and the history of art, is often considered a pioneer in interpreting art through science. The exhibition at Hotel Biron displayed around 30 drawings of Paul-Armand Gette. The exhibits prominently included his favorite feminine subjects Artemis and her nymphs.

Dates: 21 October to December 2011

Curators: Dominique Viéville

Douglas Gordon

Douglas Gordon brought a video installation to Rodin Museum in 2011 featuring the famous American television series Star Trek. The exhibition titled Star Trek: predictable incident in unfamiliar surroundings explored the hero of the series Captain Kirk. Douglas Gordon has refilmed the sequence of a kiss, with the scenes slowed down. He has enlarged and edited the iconic kiss.

Dates: 6 May to 4 September 2011

Work In Progress

Work in progress: Rodin and the Ambassadors exhibition held in 2011 shows how Rodin's works are being interpreted in the present. The exhibition features over 100 works by Rodin and compares them with 30 post-1945 contemporary and modern works. Some of the well-known works of Rodin, including The Age of Bronze, The Kiss, Balzac were analyzed in the exhibition.

Dates: 4 May to 4 September 2011

Bodies & Decorations

Bodies & Decorations exhibition was an attempt to look at The Body as an ornament. The exhibition focused on the decorative arts and ornamental sculptures Rodin created. The exhibition has helped in learning new and unknown aspects of Rodin's creativity. Around 150 vases, drawings, decorative sculptures, and art objects made it into the exhibition. A special re-examination of Rodin's The Gates of Hell was also part of the show.

Dates: April 16 to August 22, 2010

Curators: Dominique Viéville, Francois Blanchetiere

Matisse & Rodin

Matisse & Rodin exhibition in 2010 saw the works of two important contemporaries in the French art world getting a face-to-face show. Henri Matisse was a major figure in the French art scene, with multiple talents, including painting, draftsmanship, and sculpturing. The exhibition was a unique display of the works of Henri Matisse, who is widely known for his Fauvism approach.

Dates: 23 October 2009 to 28 February 2010

The Portrait Factory

The Portrait Factory exhibition was a celebration of Rodin and his models. The exhibition primarily focused on the portraits of Auguste Rodin. It also included two works by British artist Gillian Wearing. The show sheds light on the little-known aspects of Rodin's portrait making. It shows Rodin's approaches and techniques in creating portraits. Museum Rodin has included some of the restored works of Rodin in the exhibition, some of which were shown to the public for the first time.

Dates: April 10 to August 23, 2009

Curator: Aline Magnien  

Gillian Wearing

This exhibition was held at Rodin Museum in 2009. It featured two video installations of British artist Gillian Wearing. The videos titled Trauma (2000) and Secrets and Lies (2009) showcase a series of portraits on the theme of confession. The exhibition was held simultaneously in Rodin Museum with the show The Portrait Factory, which explored Auguste Rodin, the portraitist. 

Dates: 10 April to 1 November 2009

Passion At Work

Passion at Work, Rodin, and Freud as collectors is an exhibition conducted by Rodin Museum in 2008 to commemorate the artistic similarities and expressions of Auguste Rodin and Sigmund Freud. The show presented a collection of antiquities that belonged to Rodin and Freud. The collection was brought from the Freud Museum of London and presented to the French public for the first time.

Dates: 15 October 2008 to 22 February 22 2009

Curators: Bénédicte Garnier

Camille Claudel

This exhibition, held in 2008, celebrated the works of French sculptor Camille Claudel. The retrospective take on Camille Claudel’s artworks sheds light on her artistic approach. Over 80 artworks made in marble, plaster, terracotta, bronze, and onyx were on display. The exhibition also included around ten engravings and drawings sought from private and public collections elsewhere. Photographs of Claudel and Rodin have also been exhibited.

Dates: 15 April to 20 July 2008

Rodin, A Japanese Dream

Rodin, A Japanese Dream was an exhibition that allowed visitors to discover Japan through the eyes of Rodin. The exhibition included drawings, sculptures, art objects, and photographs. In the late 1880s, Rodin was very much interested in Japanese art. His works closely followed the rising Japanese artistic tradition. The collection features 40 prints, books, and albums; It also showcases statues, masks and ceramics.

Dates: 16 May to 9 September 2007

Rodin & The Cambodian Dancers

The exhibition Rodin and the Cambodian Dancers is titled His Final Passion. This collection shows the attachment and artistic inspiration Rodin acquired after watching the Cambodian Khmer dance. It was believed Rodin found his new interest in 1906 when King Sisowath of Cambodia visited France. Rodin's work paying tribute to Cambodian Khmer dance consists of 150 drawings recreating the ballet poses.

Dates: June 16 to September 17, 2006