paintings, sculptures and prints - Bruun Rasmussen
paintings, sculptures and prints - Bruun Rasmussen
paintings, sculptures and prints - Bruun Rasmussen
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MODERN<br />
343<br />
AUGUSTE RODIN<br />
b. Paris 1840, d. 1917<br />
"Jean d'Aire", c. 1899-1901. Figure from the sculpture<br />
group “The Burghers of Calais”. Engraved R. Stamped<br />
on the reverse L. Persinka Fondeur Versailles. Bronze.<br />
H. 45 cm.<br />
Jean d’Aire was one of the six heroic citizens or burghers of<br />
the French town of Calais who saved the city from the English<br />
siege in 1347. For eleven months, King Edward III of<br />
Engl<strong>and</strong> laid siege to the city whose citizens suffered terribly,<br />
a critical situation further worsened by the lack of food<br />
<strong>and</strong> water. Six leading burghers decided to offer themselves<br />
as hostages to the king in exchange of the freedom of<br />
their city. A heroic act that ended in success <strong>and</strong> the freedom<br />
of Calais.<br />
In 1884 the city of Calais commissioned Auguste Rodin to<br />
create a monument of the legendary burghers. The monument<br />
should be a heroic example of a group of citizens who<br />
were willing to die for their town <strong>and</strong> fellow citizens. In his<br />
depiction of the men, Rodin emphasized their fight for<br />
survival <strong>and</strong> their fear of dying. The heroes are portrayed as<br />
starved <strong>and</strong> tired but with a stubbornness <strong>and</strong> belief in the<br />
survival of the city.<br />
The monument was completed in 1895. Rodin however,<br />
wanted a monument without a base where the citizens of<br />
Calais could walk freely among the heroes of the past. This<br />
idea of a monument without a base was however too<br />
strange for the city of Calais <strong>and</strong> the monument was placed<br />
on a low base against the wish of Rodin.<br />
“The Burghers of Calais” was such a success that a few of<br />
Rodin’s bronze founders was allowed to make a few castings<br />
of the burghers in smaller dimensions.<br />
The present sculpture that represents Jean d’Aire was cast<br />
by the bronze founder Leon Persinka during the period<br />
1899-1901. During this short span of years, Leon Persinka<br />
made a total of 14 examples of the Burghers of Calais. The<br />
exact number of each burgher is as yet undecided.<br />
DKK 400.000-500.000 / € 54.000-67.000<br />
114 BRUUN RASMUSSEN BREDGADE AUCTION 777