The Gates of Hell

Parkway

Rodin Museum

The Gates of Hell

Modeled 1880-1917; cast 1926-1928

Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917) Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris (1874–1952)

In 1880 Rodin was commissioned to create a set of bronze doors for a new museum in Paris. Inspired by The Divine Comedy, written by Dante Alighieri (Italian, c. 1265–1324), Rodin planned to decorate the doors with characters that Dante met on his fictional journey through hell. The sculptor eventually discarded the idea of a strict narrative and instead created a weightless, chaotic world filled with more than 200 figures in the throes of pain and despair. Although the planned museum never came to fruition, Rodin worked on the sculpture for nearly thirty-seven years, periodically adding, removing, or modifying elements on it.

Rodin Museum, Parkway

Object Details

Titles:

The Gates of Hell

Date:

Modeled 1880-1917; cast 1926-1928

Artists:

Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917) Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris (1874–1952)

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

20 feet 10 3/4 inches × 13 feet 2 inches × 33 3/8 inches (636.9 × 401.3 × 84.8 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

Bequest of Jules E. Mastbaum, 1929

Accession Number:

F1929-7-128

Geography:

Made in France, Europe

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Parkway

Rodin Museum