Rodin, Auguste

Auguste Rodin, in full François-Auguste-René Rodin, (born November 12, 1840, Paris, France—died November 17, 1917, Meudon), French sculptor of sumptuous bronze and marble figures, considered by some critics to be the greatest portraitist in the history of sculpture. His The Gates of Hell, commissioned in 1880 for the future Museum of the Decorative Arts in Paris, remained unfinished at his death but nonetheless resulted in two of Rodin’s most famous images: The Thinker and The Kiss. His portraits include monumental figures of Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac. Rodin’s enduring popularity is evident by the numerous posthumous casts of his sculptures that continue to be made.