The Burghers of Calais

sculpture by Rodin

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June 22, 2026

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"The Burghers of Calais" is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin that depicts a pivotal moment during the Siege of Calais in the Hundred Years' War. After a year-long siege, the English King Edward III demanded the sacrifice of six prominent citizens to spare the city from further destruction. These six men, dressed in sackcloth with ropes around their necks, offered themselves and the keys to the city to the king. Rodin's sculpture captures their emaciated and somber state, emphasizing their heroism and sacrifice. Initially, Edward III intended to execute them, but his pregnant queen, Philippa of Hainaut, intervened and pleaded for their lives, ultimately saving them. The sculpture is now housed in the Rodin Museum in Paris.12

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Auguste Rodin
Toward the achievement of his art
Rodin completed work on The Burghers of Calais within two years, but the monument was not dedicated until 1895. In 1913 a bronze casting of the Calais group was installed in the gardens of Parliament in London to commemorate the intervention of the English queen who had compelled her…
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Rodin completed work on The Burghers of Calais within two years, but the monument was not dedicated until 1895. In 1913 a bronze casting of the Calais group was installed in the gardens of Parliament in London to commemorate the intervention of the English queen who had compelled her…
Read More

Rodin Museum
…the garden include Balzac and The Burghers of Calais. Rodin created many busts of friends and famous figures, including the French writer Victor Hugo, the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, and the English socialite-turned-writer Vita Sackville-West. Many of these creations are found in the museum. The Bronze Age (1876), one of…
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…the garden include Balzac and The Burghers of Calais. Rodin created many busts of friends and famous figures, including the French writer Victor Hugo, the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, and the English socialite-turned-writer Vita Sackville-West. Many of these creations are found in the museum. The Bronze Age (1876), one of…
Read More