Balzac

In 1891, the association of French writers Société des gens de lettres de France commissioned the memorial of Honoré de Balzac from Auguste Rodin. Instead of the portrait of the writer and traditional allegoric composition, the renowned sculptor produced a monumental figure symbolising the strength of human spirit and power of the genius’s creation. Nevertheless, the unconventional concept did not meet the expectations of the commissioner, and the sculpture was refused. The bronze cast did not appear in a public space in Paris until 1939.