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Transcript

The Burghers of Calais (1884–95) is Rodin’s best-known public monument. The plaster and bronze casts in this case are small- and large-scale studies from different stages of the commission that Rodin considered independent works. The monument commemorates the heroism of six leading citizens (burghers) of the French city of Calais.

Rodin’s deliberate use of rough, uneven textures in The Burghers of Calais creates a tactile experience, inviting viewers to "feel" the anguish embedded in each figure. These surfaces aren’t polished but rather hold "marks and roughness" that make the figures appear “deeply empathetic and human” (Assaf, 80), capturing the weight of their sacrifice.

The technique Rodin used required a "nuanced touch, one that balanced force and finesse” to achieve a textured surface that mirrors the figures' inner struggles (Bolland, 315). This tactile quality represents Rodin's sculptural intent to bring forth human suffering through form, inviting viewers to experience the texture almost as if touching the agony itself.

The textured surfaces convey raw humanity, encouraging an imagined touch where viewers could "run their fingers along the creases" of the figures’ heavy robes, feeling the weight and texture that speak to the physical burden carried by these men (Assaf, 85). This aligns with Bolland's concept of "desiderio," where the tactile quality stirs a desire for sensory connection with the figures (Bolland, 318).

Rodin's use of tactile texture, especially in the exaggerated folds and lines, emphasizes the human vulnerability of each figure. The roughness of their robes and furrowed brows invites the viewer to participate in their despair, evoking what Bolland terms the "poetics of touch" in sculpture (Bolland, 322). Each line and groove in the bronze captures the emotional depth that haptics uniquely conveys.

Through Rodin’s sculpting, the metal retains an organic quality, as if the figures are nearly alive and breathing under the weight of their task. The piece embodies what Assaf describes as the "ambivalence of touch," where the viewer's sensory response is both drawn to and disrupted by the harsh, human textures (Assaf, 87). Rodin’s carving lets touch become a language of grief and resilience, making the bronze a powerful medium for tactile storytelling.