Paris (Continued) Rodin Museum

After my day of rest, we took the Metro back over near the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower to visit the Rodin Museum.

The Musée Rodin is a museum that was opened in 1919, dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites, at the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, and just outside Paris at Rodin's old home, the Villa des Brillants at Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine). The collection includes 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs and 7,000 objets d’art.

While living in the Villa des Brillants Rodin used the Hôtel Biron as his workshop from 1908, and subsequently donated his entire collection of sculptures (along with paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir that he had acquired) to the French State on the condition that they turn the buildings into a museum dedicated to his works.  He moved into the Hotel Biron for the remainder of his life.

The Musée Rodin contains most of Rodin's significant creations, including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell. Many of his sculptures are displayed in the museum's extensive garden.

We visited the Hotel Biron and gardens and they are reallly worth seeing.

First things first, we had lunch in the gardens. A lovely spot in the shade.  A big chicken salad, which was delish.

The Hotel Biron looking from the garden

The Thinker

The Kiss (the big one)

The Kiss (the small one)

The Orphan from Alsace (Look closely and you can see the strands of hair on her head)

The Burghers of Calaise

The Gardens

The sculptures.  This one I can't remember the name of but the hands were from his favorite model Jacques de Wissant

Monument to Victor Hugo

From the Hotel Biron balcony

A rose (or possibly a thorn) among the Hydrangeas

Terry up to her usual taking pictures of my better side.

These are not Rodin sculptures

We decided we needed a coffee and ice cream before heading home, so we went  back to the garden cafe.

I swear Terry had ice cream, but she ate it already.

One last thing.  Look at this garden.  Looks real doesn't it.  Not so.  They are doing some restoration work on the outside of the museum area and so to make it look good, they cover up the work area with these beautiful canvases.  We have seen this a number of times while walking around the city.  Sometimes they will be pictures of the outside of the buildings.  Only in Paris.

 We headed back (me waiting on the Metro)

and I iced down the foot again.  

Later we went arount he corner to Place de Dauphine and had dinner outside at a lovely restaurant.  

Dessert which we shared was Terry's favorite "Profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Yum!  Somehow, I always get caught with the evidence of our indulgences.

Good night all.  Tomorrow is our last day.