Burghers of Calais
Auguste Rodin was born in 1840 and died in 1917. In his time he was considered the greatest sculptor since Michelangelo. His style was both classic and romantic. Rodin followed nature closely and presented it exactly as he saw it. It was he who let the way in modern sculpture. Auguste Rodin was never awarded a national honor which was probably due to the fact that he lived during the years that his country was at war with Germany. In 1967, during the 50th anniversary of Rodin's death, he was finally awarded with the public tribute to Preiss.
The Burghers of Calais is one of the most famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin, completed in 1889. The story goes that England's Edward III, after a victory in the Battle of Crecy, laid siege to Calasis, while Philip VI of France ordered the city to hold out at all costs. Philip failed to lift the siege, and starvation eventually forced the city to parley for surrender. Edward offered to spare the people of the city if any six of its top leaders would surrender themselves to him, presumably to be executed. Edward demanded that they walk out almost naked, wearing nooses around their necks, and carrying the keys to the city and castle. One of the wealthiest of the town leaders, Eustache de Saint Pierre, volunteered first, and five other burghers soon followed suit, stripping down to their breeches. Saint Pierre led this envoy of emaciated volunteers to the city gates. It was this moment, and this poignant mix of defeat, heroic self-sacrifice, and willingness to face imminent death that Rodin captured in his sculpture, scaled somewhat larger than life. In history, though the burghers expected to be executed, their lives were spared by the intervention of England's Queen, Philippa of Hainault, who persuaded her husband to exercise mercy by claiming that their deaths would be a bad omen for her unborn child.
Each Auguste Rodin Sculpture is museum quality and hand cast in high quality American bronze using the lost wax method. Each bronze sculpture includes a solid marble base and nameplate. Our foundries are located right here in the United States, that way we know what goes into each and every reproduction cast. These are high quality pieces that you would be proud of owning and displaying in you home or office.
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