Jean-Baptiste Rodin
by RODIN, Auguste, Bronze, height 42 cm
This bust represents Rodin’s father, Jean-Baptiste Rodin of Normandy. He was a minor civil servant at police headquarters, while his highly devout wife, Marie Cheffer, of Lorraine, spent all her time at home and made sure her children received religious instruction. The bust, representing his father in the guise of a Roman senator, is Rodin’s earliest surviving work.