Antony Gormley, Feeling material IV, 2003, private collection

I was dragging my feet to go and see yet another Rodin show at Grand Palais! I spent every afternoon of my childhood in the gardens of Musée Rodin where children and nannies could go in for free. So “The Bourgeois of Calais” and “The Gates of Hell” were my playing companions… But to my utter surprise, the exhibition celebrating the Centenary of Rodin’s death is full of good finds until the very end of the show,  where his “Balzac’s dressing gown” is hanging next to Joseph Beuys’ coat…

Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, curator of the show with “the Kiss” by Rodin.

Running into Antoinette Le Normand who used to be director of Musée Rodin until last June, and is now visiting professor at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, was fortunate. She curated the Rodin part of the show while her colleague Catherine Chevillot was in charge of contemporary artists of which there are many. Georg Baselitz welcomes us in the first room where “Volk Ding Zero”, 2009, stands by a plaster version of the “Thinker”, 1916,  by Rodin. After a beautiful bronze of St John the Baptist, I discovered three versions of “L’homme au nez cassé”, 1875. The progression between the three is particularly interesting.

Auguste Rodin, “L’Homme au nez cassé”, 1875, marble

A lovely laughing seated Bacchante in enameled porcelain from Sèvres by Rodin, surprised me in a window, as much as “La Fontaine aux agenouillés”, a group of four marble kneeled men by Belgian sculptor George Minne, 1927. Antony Gormley has two major pieces, a drawing,  “Concept”,  2001 and a sculpture, “Feeling material”, 2003. He happens to be one of my favorite sculptors so I was happy to learn that he had been strongly influenced by Rodin.

Joseph Bernard, “L’Homme”, plaster fragment from “Fardeau de la Vie”, 1897

The rooms upstairs painted in red, are very efficient as a background for marble sculptures, and there is not a moment of boredom in the show. Joseph Bernard, Aristide Maillol, Thomas Houseago and his “Walking man”, are all witnesses of Robin’s inspirational role on 20 th century artists. Markus Lüpertz is also very present as is Barry Flanagan. The show is a great success and you can take your children along for sculpture is always playful!

Auguste Rodin, “Balzac’s dressing gown”, 1897 is one of the most modern sculptures of the show!

At Grand Palais until July 31.