From The Gates of Hell to Victor Hugo's Side: Meditation

Like many of Rodin's other works, this piece also traces its origins back to The Gates of Hell. Among the sculptures he created for that work, Rodin would occasionally take the ones he particularly liked and recreate them as separate, larger-scale pieces, and this one is among them. This same figure was also used as one of the muses appearing behind Victor Hugo in Rodin's monument to the writer.

The pose is remarkably difficult for an actual person to hold, and it showcases the flexibility of the human body beautifully. This piece has taken on a brown or blackish hue from patina, the natural oxidation that forms on bronze over time. Having stood exposed to the elements in this garden since 1927, it's weathered into this coloring — a pattern shared by nearly every sculpture displayed outdoors here, not just this one.