Hi friends, welcome back to my Paris and London Anniversary series 
Hard to believe this is my second to last post about our time in Paris! On our final full day, we spent the morning with our photographer taking pictures near the Eiffel Tower, ate breakfast at our hotel, and then headed to the Rodin Museum. On our way, we passed by the Army Museum containing the tomb of Napoleon. This building may have caught your eye from my pictures at the top of the Eiffel Tower, the gold dome sticks out among all the other buildings. We didn't have time for this popular museum, but it could make the itinerary on a future trip to Paris.
I figured Jon and I would have a bit of museum fatigue by the end of our time in Paris, so I purposely saved the Rodin Museum for the end. This museum is relatively small compared to the other museums and showcases the work of Auguste Rodin, regarded as the greatest French sculptor. He lived from 1840-1917 and worked as well as resided in this mansion. Rodin donated his home and collection to the French State so that it could become a museum enjoyed by all.
Jon and I started outside in the gardens before making our way inside. The garden spans seven acres and features sculptures throughout, much like Rodin did when he lived here. They were my favorite part of the museum and were so beautiful! I especially loved the Rose Garden.
The Rodin Museum reminded me a lot of touring the Petite Trianon in Versailles.
The most famous piece, Thinking Man. What do you think he's pondering?
The Gates of Hell including a small Thinking Man.
We entered the mansion and the entry looked incredibly similar to the Petite Trianon with the grand staircase and black and white marble floor.
The Kiss was one of the first works by Rodin that the public loved. He was often met with criticism but fortunately he didn't let that deter him.
Rodin often made small scale versions of each sculpture before creating the giant masterpieces. The collection includes his different versions so it was neat to see the progression from start to finish. You can get a hint for the smaller scales in the background of the below picture.
Walking Man is another popular piece that depicts the movement of his subject.
There are a few other artists' work featured in the museum including Van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir.
I would definitely recommend checking out the Rodin Museum. It's not a huge time commitment and I believe the gardens alone are worth the price of admission. We bought a combination ticket with the Orsay Museum to save a few euros and this allows for the flexibility of choosing any date/time too. If you're an art connoisseur you could also get the audio guide to learn more about this eclectic artist and his pieces. Jon and I skipped the guide and meandered through enjoying this serene spot in the middle of Paris.
After leaving the Rodin Museum, we grabbed another baguette and enjoyed it in the Jardin de Tuileries before our final excursion of the trip, an outstanding tour of the Palais Garnier. Stay tuned for my final Paris post!
Posts in my Paris and London Anniversary series:
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