Emily Miller and Dr. Heather Jensen, Visual Arts Department
In 1889, a French 19th century sculptor, Auguste Rodin, created a monument that marked the historical heroism of six men who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their town in Calais, France in 1347. The Burghers of Calais (see fig. 1), cast in bronze, has twelve copies in existence today, but was originally intended to be placed in Calais and now rests in front of the town hall. In the piece, each of these men, dressed in sackcloth, used their lives as payment for the town that was captured by King Edward the III of England. What is remarkable about this piece is the artist’s approach of depicting six men defeated, and walking toward their own deaths. Rodin’s piece didn’t follow the mold for most 19th century monuments (that of depicting heroes at their greatest, elevated above the viewer), but exhibits the sorrow and pain from being overcome by a foreign conqueror. “Rodin was also able to give a universal character to the group: by making the Burghers of Calais men like us, placed in a situation that we might experience, he produced on of the masterpieces of an era which placed man and his internal world at the center of its preoccupations.”
Seen today as understandably well-known, The Burghers of Calais became a modern day muse for monumental sculpture in Europe in the late 19th century. Rodin was able to extend beyond his classical predecessors and create a work that embodied the modern man and woman. While there has been extensive research on his work, there is little to no writings that address the individual and personal emotions of each figure in the piece. My main objective was to construct a paper that would best verbalize the different ages of man and their roles that are represented in Rodin’s work. This paper was to serve as my thesis upon graduating from the art history program at Brigham Young University, and would extend beyond the research that was available in my area.
Working with my mentor, a professor in the art history department, I proceeded to research in the local facilities in the area to find as much documentation and writings on my subject. I then constructed a preliminary paper using my research and began to solidify my thesis. Realizing the small amount of information available on my piece, I scheduled a trip to France to view the sculpture in person and conduct further research. I was able to meet with the curator of the Musée Rodin, where the majority of his works are kept today, and had a conversation with her about my thesis and the direction it was going. My objective was to describe the different ages and positions in society each man represents, which A. Le Normand-Romain, the curator, thought my thesis was too broad and didn’t embody the academic direction I should be heading. I was then invited to research in their archives the documents of Rodin and more of his personal opinions. From this I found that each man in the work had a story, both personal and professional and Rodin found their stories to motivate his work.
Since the sculpture was meant for Calais, in northern France, I extended my research in that area and viewed the work in its intended environment. I was able to gain the images in person that best described the direction of my writing. The original walls and remnants from the war in 1347 still remain as well as documentation pertaining to the city’s struggle. I photographed all possible aspects of the work and its surrounding area that were relevant to my thesis. Upon returning from France I was able to combine my previous work with my new research and completed my paper for the final presentation.
A few problems arose in my research mainly concerning the allotted time there was to research. My time in France was extremely short and didn’t allow for in-depth analysis that could have expanded my writing. Mostly the end result was a positive experience that allowed me to gain the experience for future research projects. I was also able to compile a vast amount of photographs that benefited my project as well as the art history department.
I found the entire process to be of great benefit for myself. I was able to experience a more professional approach to critical writing in art history, and a foundation for a further career in the arts. Being in the presence of the work helped me to best describe my objective, as well as become more knowledgeable upon the composition. Photographs do not fully describe a work, and by seeing it up close, the work became something more important, inspiring. I gained the credit of writing a thesis which helped me gain an internship at Sotheby’s Auction House in the fall and winter of 2004. In an address to the crowd of Calais in 1347, the leader of the burghers stepped forward and stated, “Gentlemen, it would be a great shame to allow so many people to starve to death, if there were any way of preventing it. […] I have such faith in gaining pardon and trust for Our Lord if I die in the attempt to save these people that I will put myself forward as the first volunteer, I will willingly go out wearing only a shirt, bareheaded and barefoot with a halter round my neck and put myself at the mercy of the King of England.” Each figure became an individual in my research and I was able to grasp their personalities that Rodin was trying to express.
