paintings, sculptures and prints - Bruun Rasmussen

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