Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917), Saint John the Baptist, 1878–1880, Bronze, Edition of 12, Cast No. 7, The Norton Simon Foundation
An outdoor walking tour exploring Auguste Rodin’s revolutionary bronze casting techniques will take visitors through the Norton Simon Museum’s sculpture collection Sunday, offering one of the museum’s most intimate educational experiences.
The Afternoon Salon tour, limited to just 15 participants, examines how the French sculptor broke from academic tradition. A museum educator will lead the one-hour tour at 1 p.m., focusing on eight Rodin bronzes displayed in the museum’s front entrance garden.
Registration is required on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-ups are taken at the Information Desk when the museum opens at noon.
Eight Rodin bronzes are on permanent outdoor display at the museum. The collection includes “The Thinker,” overlooking Colorado Boulevard, and “The Burghers of Calais,” one of only 12 original casts.
Rodin, who lived from 1840 to 1917, is widely considered the founder of modern sculpture. He rejected established conventions and portrayed figures as troubled individuals at viewer level on a low base rather than as glorious heroes atop a traditional pedestal.
The tour will examine the lost-wax method he favored and how he left seam lines and imperfections in finished pieces, applying chemicals to create artificial patinas.
The museum celebrates its 50th anniversary throughout the year with a $15 million renovation featuring 115,000 hand-crafted Edith Heath ceramic tiles.
Afternoon Salon: Rodin’s Bronzes will run on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-6840 or visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/calendar/2025/fall-2025/Rodins-Bronzes-11-23-2025-100PM#2025-11-23. Free with museum admission: adults $20, seniors (62 and older) $15, children 18 and under free, students with valid ID free.
