RODIN MUSEUM

Philadelphia, PA

By Gillian Hayward
 HISTORY
• Opened in 1929 on the Benjamin Franklin
Parkway in Philadelphia.
• Gift to the city from Jules E. Mastbaum
• Discovered the sculptures of Auguste Rodin
(1840-1917) during 1923 trip to Paris
• Rodin was known as the father of modern
sculpture.
• Beaux-Arts building by French architect Paul
Cret , formal French garden by French
landscape designer Jacques Gréber.
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

• Has administered
the Rodin Museum
since it opened in
1929

• Relationship
affects both inner
and outer museum
 STAFF
• No dedicated Rodin Museum staff. All
are shared with Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
• Jennifer Thompson PhD is curator of the
Rodin Museum.
• Daily operations are run by the Visitor
Services Department of the PMA. The
same staff rotate through the PMA, the
Perelman Building (another gallery
space), and the Rodin.
(J. Thompson, personal communication, Sept. 28, 2018)
 VOLUNTEERS
• Approximately 30 volunteer tour guides (daily
and private tours)
• Must go through 2 year intensive art history
training program at Philadelphia Museum of
Art. Can only graduate after oral test.
• Can volunteer at PMA and Rodin, or just Rodin
(J. Thompson, personal communication, Sept. 28, 2018)
 COLLECTIONS

• Almost 150 bronzes, marbles, and plasters.

• The Musée Rodin in Paris is much larger by
comparison, but the Philadelphia museum is
considered a comprehensive collection (Rodin
Museum, 2017).
• The collection includes some of Rodin’s most
famous and influential works, including The
Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Kiss.
• Displayed both inside the museum, and outside
in the garden
 OUTER MUSEUM

Meudon Gate and The Thinker at the Rodin Museum

 WEBSITE

• Simple design
• Sections on:
• Visitor information
• The Collection
• History of the Museum
• Rodin’s 100th anniversary celebration
(2017)
(Rodin Museum, 2017) • How to donate

(More information on Philadelphia Museum of Art website about renting the Rodin Museum for events.)
 PUBLIC PROGRAMS
• Daily guided tours (included with
admission)
• Second Saturday Sketch in the galleries
with materials provided (monthly)
• Rodin Garden Bar
• School & Group Tours
(Rodin Museum, 2017)
 VISITOR SERVICES
• Wheelchair accessible entrance, and the galleries are all
on one floor.
• Two gender-neutral bathrooms; water fountain.
• Gift shop sells Rodin books, postcards and reproductions,
as well as items relating to Philadelphia Museum of Art
collections.
• Admission is pay-what-you-wish, or a 2-day pass to the
PMA, Perelman Building and Rodin for $20 is available.
(Rodin Museum, 2017)
• Two of the galleries have comfortable seating with sketch
pads and pencils available, as well as a library table with
books about Rodin and his works.
 EXHIBITS
• The museum has almost 150 Rodin
sculptures, but displays only about 90 at a
time.
• The display is changed every 2 years.
• Interpretation of items on display consists of
small, informative signs including the date of
creation, accession number, material, and the
story of its making.
(J. Thompson, personal communication, Sept. 28, 2018)
 DEVELOPMENT

• The Rodin Museum does solicit donations (via the Philadelphia

Museum of Art) to support their activities. (Rodin Museum, 2017)
• Large donors are noted in the galleries.
• The museum and outdoor garden were renovated in 2012, following a
large campaign for funding to support the effort.
 EDUCATION
• School and Group Tours
• Special tours, lectures by
the Curator
• Interpretive Signage
• Museum App (audio &
images)
• Series of podcast tours
available through the
iTunes store (Apple, Inc.
2017)
 INNER MUSEUM

The Gates of Hell at the Rodin Museum

 CURATION
Jennifer Thompson, Curator
• PhD in Art History from St. Andrews University,
Scotland
• Museum Studies was offered at university, but all of her
degrees are in art history
• Started at Philadelphia Museum of Art as Research
Associate right out of school and worked her way up to
curator
• Her time spent on Rodin Museum is completely
variable: More during 2017 Rodin 100, biennial
collection rotations.
(J. Thompson, personal communication, Sept. 28, 2018)
 PRESERVATION/
CONSERVATION
• 2012 renovation of museum included deep
cleaning and restoration of collection
• Conservation advances enabled several
sculptures that had been inside since 1963
to be moved back outdoors where they
were originally intended to be.
• All conservation by PMA staff, considered
experts in their fields, especially in
treatment of outdoor bronzes
(J. Thompson, personal communication, Sept. 28, 2018;
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018)
 RESEARCH
• 2015 study used 12 bronze sculptures at the
museum for x-ray fluorescence (XRF)
spectroscopy of their composition. This method
helps determine correlations to the artist,
foundry date, and casting method (Young &
Dunand, 2015).
• Research during museum renovation
uncovered scrap of original museum curtain
fabric at MFA Boston. Enabled textile students
to recreate it. (J. Thompson, personal
communication, Sept. 28, 2018)
 COLLECTION
MANAGEMENT
• Collections are managed by
Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Governed by their policies
PERSONAL REFLECTION
 REFERENCES
Apple Inc. (2017). PMA: Rodin Museum - art tours. Retrieved from
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pma-rodin-museum-art-tours/id273944545

Latham, K. & Simmons, J. (2014). Foundations of museum studies: evolving systems of knowledge. Santa
Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Loviglio, J. (2012, July 13). Rodin Museum in Philadelphia reopens after a $9 million makeover. Retrieved
from https://www.washingtonpost.com

Lui, Claire. (2011). The gardens of Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum. Retrieved from
https://www.gardendesign.com/pictures/the-gardens-of-philadelphia-s-rodin-museum_444/#6991

Morey, C. (1918). The art of Auguste Rodin. The Bulletin of the College Art Association of America, 1(4),
145-154. doi:10.2307/3046338
 REFERENCES
Philadelphia Museum of Art. (2017). 2017 Annual report. Retrieved from http://www.philamuseum.org

Philadelphia Museum of Art. (2018). The Rodin Museum and Garden landscape rejuvenation project.
Retrieved from ttp://www.philamuseum.org/information/45-232-437.html

Rodin Museum. (2017). The collection. Retrieved from http://www.rodinmuseum.org/492-518.html

WPVI-TV. (2018). Rodin Museum’s new pop-up beer garden and return of Oval+. Retrieved
from https://6abc.com/society/6abc-loves-the-arts-rodin-museums-pop-up-beer-garden-oval+-
returns/3717018/

Young, M., & Dunand, D. (2015). Comparing compositions of modern cast bronze sculptures:
Optical Emission Spectroscopy versus x-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. JOM: The Journal of the
Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), 67(7), 1646-1658. doi:10.1007/s11837-015-1445-1