Auguste Rodin was a pioneering sculptor who revolutionized the art of sculpture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Despite studying decorative arts and sculpture from a young age, he faced rejection from the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts. By the age of 19, after failing to gain admittance three times, Rodin began working odd jobs as a day laborer in plaster workshops. The artist travelled to Florence to study the sculptures of Michelangelo shortly before a turning point in his career, when, in 1877, the Salon finally accepted one of his works. Despite causing controversy with pieces like The Burghers of Calais (1889), he became a renowned artist by the end of the decade. Today, Institutions around the world house his work, including the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia and the Musée Rodin in Paris.