Rodin, Unlocked Sketches: A Rare Showcase of Works Typically Hidden Away at the Rodin Museum

The Rodin Museum hosts an exhibition showcasing the French artist's remarkable talent for drawing. From December 13, 2025, to March 1, 2026, don’t miss "Rodin, Free Sketches," an inspiring display of his artistic versatility.

When you think of Rodin, the first images that come to mind are of the renowned sculptor and his iconic works: The Thinker, The Kiss, The Cathedral, Walking Man, and The Gates of Hell. But did you know that Auguste Rodin was also an avid drawer? From December 13, 2025, to March 1, 2026, the Rodin Museum in Paris will shed light on this lesser-known facet of the artist's life with a curated selection of extraordinary drawings.

In a unique exhibition titled Rodin, Free Drawings, visitors are invited to explore nearly 70 sketches by Auguste Rodin. These works, rarely displayed due to their delicate nature, come from the museum's collections and reveal a lesser-known, more mysterious side of the artist's creative process. As Rodin once told journalist René Benjamin: “It’s simple: my drawings are the key to my entire work.”

This artistic journey offers a deeper look into the world of the sculptor and draftsman. Across the exhibits, visitors can observe how Rodin's style and technical skill develop and refine over time. The chronological display takes us from the early sketches of a very young Rodin to the mature works of his later years. The artist continually reinvents himself, constantly finding new ways to breathe life into the images conceived in his creative mind.

The exhibition explores the formative years of Auguste Rodin, highlighting his early experiments with color, his love for series and repetitive motifs... Visitors can see in these drawings the same themes, gestures, and emotions that later took shape in his sculptures. Once again, the female form is meticulously studied and reimagined, alongside scenes of men in struggle, reflecting his fascination with classical art and ancient models.

With his drawings, Rodin aims to capture the movement he observes and the emotions he feels. His sketches can be surprising: they feature bold patches of color, sometimes unconventional, overlapping patterns, and studies of architecture or figures in motion... What excites the artist is the vitality he perceives. He isn't striving for exact replication but instead draws inspiration from it to imitate the essence of movement.

This exhibition features no sculptures, molds, or plaster casts. In a spacious hall, visitors can admire a series of small drawings that showcase the artist’s remarkable talent. Rodin viewed drawing as an art in its own right: he didn’t sketch merely to prepare his sculptures, but drew out of a genuine love for the craft. The exhibition’s route is quite brief, so we suggest continuing your exploration through the permanent collection to fully appreciate the breadth of the artist’s work.

If you are passionate about Rodin's work, don't miss the exhibition Rodin, Free Drawings, on display this winter in Paris.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.