''Pierre de Wissant'' is a bronze sculpture by French artist

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

, part of his sculptural group ''

The Burghers of Calais ''The Burghers of Calais'' (french: Les Bourgeois de Calais) is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin in twelve original castings and numerous copies. It commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, a French port on the English Cha ...

''. This sculpture represents one of the six burghers who, according to

Jean Froissart Jean Froissart (Old and Middle French: ''Jehan'', – ) (also John Froissart) was a French-speaking medieval author and court historian from the Low Countries who wrote several works, including ''Chronicles'' and ''Meliador'', a long Arthurian ...

Froissart, Jean, ''Chronicles of England France, Spain, and the adjoining countries'', (1805 translation by Thomas Jhones), Book I
ch. 145
/ref> surrendered themselves in 1347, at the beginning of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

(1337–1453), in order to save the inhabitants of the French city of

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

from the English laying siege to the city.

Work

Between 1884 and 1886, Rodin created nude studies of each of the burghers, then draped them in wet canvas in order to determine how the human figures would look clothed with sackcloth, as their real-life counterparts were supposed to have worn when surrendering to

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ro ...

. Rodin made two models and one study of ''Pierre de Wissant'' before the final sculpture. The first model shows the young man pointing to himself with the right hand, as if questioning his final destination. In the nude study he is no longer pointing to himself, but using his arm in a defensive manner. Elsen mentions that both Auguste son and actor Coquelin Cadet have been named as possible reference models.

Gallery

File:Auguste Rodin-Burghers of Calais-Musée Rodin.jpg, Two studies of ''Pierre de Wissant'' at the

Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin ( en, Rodin Museum) in Paris, France, is a museum that was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, as ...

in Paris File:Auguste Rodin-Pierre de wiessant-Israel Museum.jpg, ''Pierre de Wissant'' at the Museum of Israel in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Bemberg Fondation Toulouse - Pierre de Wiessant, Nude Study 1885 by Auguste Rodin.jpg, Nude Study in 1885 for ''Pierre de Wissant'' Fondation Bemberg

References

External links

* {{Auguste Rodin Sculptures by Auguste Rodin 1887 sculptures Sculptures of the Musée Rodin

Work

Gallery

See also

References

External links