The Gates of Hell

Modeled in clay from 1880 to 1917 and cast in bronze from 1926 to 1928, this work began when Rodin was commissioned in 1880 to create a set of bronze doors for a new museum in Paris. Inspired by The Divine Comedy, written by Dante Alghieri (Italian, c. 1265-1321), he planned to decorate the doors with characters Dante met on his fictional journey through hell. He eventually abandoned 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 was never built, Rodin worked on the sculpture for nearly thirty-five years, periodically adding, removing, or modifying its elements.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States