Conclusion

Looking back at Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais, we can now observe that this work was a pivotal point in the development and refinement of his figures’ poses in a true impressionist manner. Placed in chronological context between St. John the Baptist Preaching and Nude Honoré de Balzac with Folded Arms, the dynamic poses of these six burghers’ visibly hint at the intangible - emotions and thoughts - that were not quite present in his earlier works, but seemed to gradually develop in his later ones. Thus we can see that The Burghers of Calais ultimately built upon the active poses stressed in Rodin’s earlier works and allowed the artist to progress into depicting more reserved - yet more forceful poses - that better expressed his impressions of the subject. Rodin’s goal of depicting “the instant when each man makes the decision to commit himself” (Hale, 128) and “the cusp moment of commitment” (Varnedoe, 133) is realized due to the combining of the burghers’ varied, expressive stances, which not only impress upon us the element of action, but also the more intangible qualities of fear, uncertainty, and determination. Henceforth, Rodin would further develop and build upon the impressions made through his figures’ dynamic poses by branching out of true academic subject matter and giving himself the freedom to create even more fluid and dynamic poses for his figures. No longer would Rodin be constrained by classical, academic themes; his ensuing work on Balzac would mark a changed focus for more modern subjects. Ultimately, due to his increasing concentration on the dynamic poses of his figures, Rodin eventually freed himself from the need for a subject altogether; the Monument to Honoré de Balzac would be his last major work with a true subject. Subsequently, Rodin would concentrate mainly on experimenting with the forceful poses of partial and fragmented figures. Thus, by developing dynamic poses which captured the spontaneous essence of what he wished to portray, as well as liberating his work from the limitations of an academic subject or specific theme, Rodin can not only be seen as an Impressionist, but also as the father of modern sculpture.