The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia owns the largest collection of Auguste Rodin’s works outside Paris.
The museum was founded by Philadelphia businessman and publisher Jules Mastbaum, who began collecting Rodin’s sculptures in the early twentieth century. He intended to create a public institution that would make sculpture accessible to the city’s residents.
The museum opened in 1929 and holds important examples of Rodin’s work, including casts and studies connected with major projects. Its collection is especially significant because it allows visitors to compare different stages and formats of Rodin’s sculpture.
The phrase “outside Paris” distinguishes the Philadelphia museum from the Musée Rodin in Paris, which preserves Rodin’s former residence, studio history, collections, and major works. Philadelphia’s museum is nevertheless one of the most important Rodin institutions anywhere in the world.