Auguste Rodin

Biography

François Auguste René Rodin was a French sculptor considered a founder of modern sculpture. Rejected three times from the prestigious École des Beaux Arts, Rodin trained at an applied arts school in Paris and in various studios and workshops before gaining public attention and individual commissions in his late 30s. Rodin is known for the boldly expressive, emotive physicality of his sculptures including Monument to Balzac, The Kiss, The Burghers of Calais, and The Gates of Hell, a sculptural composition that includes a figure later known as The Thinker.