The statue, cast from bronze and
showing six life-size figures, stands at the southern end of the Palace of Westminster in
Victoria Tower Gardens. The statue depicts the six burghers as they were handed
over, with a look of despair and with ropes around their necks.
The names of the six that volunteered
to face execution were:
- Eustache de Saint-Pierre
- Jean d'Aire
-
Jacques de Wissant
- Pierre de Wissant
- Jean de Fiennes
- Andrieus
d'Andres
The plaque, set
into the ground, reads:
These figures known as
The Burghers of
Calais
commemorate six citizens of that
town
who offered themselves
as hostages to Edward III
after he had
vainly besieged their town
for nearly a year in 1347.
The story goes
that their lives were spared
on the intercession of Edward's
queen
Philippa of Hainault.
An inscription, on the southern side of the plinth, reads:
The Burghers
of Calais
by Auguste
Rodin
An inscription on the
northern side of the plinth reads:
Presented to
the nation by the
National Art Collections Fund
1914
A brass plaque, also
on the northern side of the plinth, reads:
The
conservation of
Rodin's Burghers of Calais
and the new plinth
were
funded by Nicholas Goodison
(Chairman, National Art Collections Fund
1986-2002)
and Judith Goodison, in 2004
The Suite 101 website (visit
link) tells us about the Rodin statue(s):
"In 1347 six men offered themselves as a sacrifice to
save the people of Calais. Rodin captured the intensity of emotion of the six
being led to their fate.
The Hundred Years War saw an almost year long siege by
the British against Calais. Battered and starving, the people of Calais sent an
appeal through their governor to King Edward III of England. The king responded
with a demand that six "principle citizens" surrender themselves to him in order
to obtain pardon for the remaining citizens. Six volunteers were stripped to
their shirts, ropes placed around their necks, and the keys to the town and
castle in their hands.
Rodin's Statues
From
1884 to 1889, Auguste Rodin worked on the sculpture commissioned by Calais. Six
individual statues were sculpted and incorporated into the final statue, whereas
the board that commissioned the work envisioned a single statue of the most
important Burgher. Rodin intended the work to be erected in the market place
where viewers could walk among the figures. When finally erected in 1895, it was
placed on a pedestal against the wishes of the sculptor.
Rodin's desire was to depict the reality of the inner
turmoil between the cause for which they volunteered and the fear of dying. He
noted that a triumphant, serene group would have been unrealistic. Each man is
depicted as a strong man mentally battling with his own individual fear. Their
almost certain death at the hands of King Edward III was stayed at the request
of the king's pregnant wife.
The Burghers of Calais Inspire 20thC
Sculptors
Sculptures without pedestals
were not conceived of prior to the Burghers. All six figures were placed on
equal footing without regard to placing the most important among them at a
higher level, another first. The over sized feet and hands of the Burghers are
out of proportion to the rest of the figure. The Burghers are truly a work meant
to be viewed from 360°. The figures in different positions all face a different
way, without any one prevalent angle of view.
The six figures are sculpted by some repetition of
features. Two of the Burghers share variations of the same face and head. Rodin
often repeated the same features in multiple works.
Sculptors in the 20thC adopted Rodin's innovations in
representation. Rodin's work is highly narrative. The Burghers of Calais tells a
compelling story of principles and sacrifice battling fear. Later sculptors
inspired by Rodin's innovations were concerned with making the formality of
form, space, and medium stand on their own without telling a story, and
considered Rodin's work too narrative.
Where to View The Burghers of
Calais
French law prohibited more than 12 casts
of The Burghers of Calais after Rodin's death. The original cast is in the
Calais Square of the Hotel de Ville. Other casts include:
Rodin Museum,
Paris
Hirschorn Museum, Washington,
D.C.
Victoria Tower Gardens,
London
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York
Rodin Museum,
Philadelphia
National Museum of Western Art,
Tokyo
Norton Simon Inc. Museum of Art,
Los Angeles
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek,
Copenhagen
Mariemont Park,
Brussels
Kunstmuseum Basel,
Basel
The emotion of the Burghers and the narrative come
together masterfully in the sculpture by Rodin. Rodin chose to sculpt a human
story rather than an unrealistic triumphant march toward almost certain death.
His work does not fit the expectations of those who commissioned the work, and
is stronger because of it. Over five centuries after the event, the story was
immortalized by a master sculptor."
The same website (visit
link) tells the story of the Burghers of Calais:
"King Edward III laid siege to Calais intending to
starve the people into surrendering. Six French merchants offered up their lives
to save the town.
In 1347, during the 100 Years War and five days after
the battle of Crecy, Edward III lay siege to Calais after the strongly fortified
town refused to surrender. The English erected wooden houses around the town's
perimeter and had supplies shipped in from England. They then waited for the
people trapped inside the barricade to starve. As the siege wore on, Edward's
queen, Philippa, joined her husband in camp.
The Siege of Calais
The citizens of Calais waited for King Philippe VI to rescue
them. “We have eaten everything," wrote Sir Jean the Vienne, the Governor, to
Philip, "even the cats, and dogs, and horses, and there is nothing left for us
but to die of hunger unless you come soon.” King Philippe did arrive with his
army, but after a few skirmishes he was unable to force his way to the town, and
left without saving his people.
The Siege of Calais Ends
The citizens of Calais were weak with starvation and quickly
running out of water. Their distress prompted Sir Jean de Vienne to wave a white
flag on top of the town's battlements. In response the King sent two of his
emissaries, Sir Walter Mauny and Lord Bassett, who asked if the town was willing
to surrender. The governor replied that he would yield up the castles with its
treasures in return for the lives of the people. Angry at their stubborn
resistance, the King refused, saying: 'Gentlemen, I am not so obstinate as to
hold my opinion alone against you all: Sir Walter, you will inform the governor
of Calais, that the only grace he must expect from me is, that six of the
principal citizens of Calais march out of the town, with bare heads and feet,
with ropes round their necks, and the keys of the town and castle in their
hands. These six persons shall be at my absolute disposal, and the remainder of
the inhabitants pardoned.'
Six Burghers Save Calais
When Lord Walter informed Lord de Vienne of the King's decision,
the Governor assembled the people in the marketplace and told them of the King's
decision and that Edward expected a short and immediate answer. The town's
wealthiest merchant, Eustace de St. Pierre, spoke first, '...it would be highly
meritorious in the eyes of our Saviour, if such misery could be averted. I have
such faith and trust in finding grace before God, if I die to save my townsmen,
that I name myself as first of the six.' Five more prominent merchants stepped
forward: John Daire, James Wisant and his brother Peter, and two others. The
governor and all the town people accompanied the six merchants to the gate.
During the exchange, Lord de Vienne begged Sir Walter that they not be put to
death, and the knight assured him that he would do all in his power to save
them.
Queen Philippa Saves the Burghers of
Calais
When presented before the king,
the six merchants fell to their knees and said: 'Most gallant king, see before
you six citizens of Calais, who have been capital merchants, and who bring you
the keys of the castle and of the town. We surrender ourselves to your absolute
will and pleasure, in order to save the remainder of the inhabitants of Calais,
who have suffered much distress and misery. Condescend, therefore, out of your
nobleness of mind, to have mercy and compassion upon us.' But the king, hating
the people of Calais for the losses he had suffered from them earlier at sea,
ordered that their heads be stricken off. Despite pleas of mercy from his
entourage, the king remained unmoved. Queen Philippa, who was pregnant,
beseeched her husband: 'Ah, gentle sir, since I have crossed the sea with great
danger to see you, I have never asked you one favour: now, I most humbly ask as
a gift, for the sake of the Son of the blessed Mary, and for your love to me,
that you will be merciful to these six men.' King Edward relented. Before
returning the merchants to Calais, the queen had their halters removed from
their necks, gave them new clothes and served them a fine dinner. She then
handed them money and had them escorted safely out of the British
camp.
Rodin's Sculpture of the Burghers of
Calais
Over the years, many artists have
depicted this dramatic moment, mostly concentrating on the first burgher to
offer up his life, Eustace de St. Pierre. In 1885, the town council of Calais
commissioned Auguste Rodin to sculpt all six burghers at the moment that they
stepped towards the King's camp to their deaths, clad only in their underwear,
their heads bare, a rope tied around their necks, and carrying the keys to the
city."