Rodin

We had the opportunity to go to the Rodin museum while in Philadelphia. I found the anguish exhibited in this piece mesmerizing. Rodin's depiction of strong, huge hands fascinated me. Being at the museum and talking with the docent made me want to learn so much more.

This statue is one of the figures on "The Burghers of Calais."

In 1346 the English king Edward III laid siege to the French port of Calais. Eleven months later, Edward demanded the surrender of six of the town's leading men, or burghers, in return for sparing its citizens.

Rodin's sculpture commemorates this episode and emphasized the internal struggle of each man as he walked toward his fate wearing a sackcloth and rope halter. The burghers were later spared thanks to the intervention of the English queen, who feared that their deaths would bring bad luck to her unborn child.