While in the US last month, I managed to eke out a couple of hours to visit the Stanford University campus. One of the more striking things I noticed (the vast oval and the Hoover Institution's tower being among them) was something labelled as "The Burghers of Calais".
If you search for this term on Wikipedia, this link -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burghers_of_Calais - provides a good deal of detail on what is one of the most famous sculptures by Rodin.
As you would expect, it makes for a very popular photo destination.
The inscription here provides some background information on the history behind the sculpture as well as the historical incident that inspired the sculpture.
© 2006, Abhinav Agarwal (अà¤िनव अग्रवाल). All rights reserved. Reposted to this blog, Nov 2012
If you search for this term on Wikipedia, this link -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burghers_of_Calais - provides a good deal of detail on what is one of the most famous sculptures by Rodin.
As you would expect, it makes for a very popular photo destination.
The inscription here provides some background information on the history behind the sculpture as well as the historical incident that inspired the sculpture.
"In 1884 the French city of Calais commissioned Auguste Rodin to create a memorial honoring heroes of the Hundred Years War. He depicted the six burghers, or citizens, who in 1347 volunteered to leave the defeated city barefoot, tied by rope at the neck, and offer their own lives and the keys to Calais to King Edward III of England. The burghers's fortitude, determination, and devotion to their community preserved Calais from being pillaged at the end of a devastating siege. The burghers are shown at the moment of departure from the city."
