Eustache de St. Pierre
Single figure of the leader, Eustache de Saint Pierre
Year – Original Commission completed 1889 – 1895. Medium: Bronze.
Height: 18.75 inches or 47.6 cm
Width: 9.75 inches or 24.8 cm
Depth: 5.75 inches or 14.6 cm
Monsieur Hughes Herpin, Specialist in Rodin Sculpture at the Musée de Rodin, confirmed the casting date for this piece as
June 28, 1945.
Figures 1 – 4. Eustace de Saint Pierre, an Artist’s Proof
Figure 5. Signature of Auguste Rodin, inscribed in the base
Figure 6. Insignia of Alexis Rudier Foundry. This artist’s proof was cast on June 28, 1945 by the Alexis Rudier Foundry, authorized in Rodin’s Will to cast authentic Rodin sculptures after his death. The Foundry is known for producing the highest quality Rodin castings.
Figure 7. Original Inventory Notation & Seal of Auguste Rodin
Figure 8. Rotated – Seal of Auguste Rodin, cast in the base
Figure 9. Certificate of Authenticity from the Musée Rodin dated June 24, 1954, signed by Cécile Goldscheider, then Director of Musée Rodin, Rodin scholar and author of many books on his work.
Figure 10. Receipt for Purchase of this Piece by Monsieur J. Gill on June 24, 1954, also signed by Cécile Goldscheider.
Figure 11. Sculpture Numbered in the Records of the Musée Rodin (Inventory #369)
Figure 12. Fragment referencing the sculpture’s original location in the Musée de Rodin.
Eustache de St. Pierre (center), Leader of the Burghers of Calais
To a competition held by the city of Calais for a statue commemorating the heroism of a leading 14th century citizen, Eustache de St. Pierre, Rodin submitted instead a composition showing all six of the heroic burghers who offered themselves as a sacrifice for the protection of their fellow townsmen. Despite his arbitrary procedure, he won the commission and executed the group of figures one-half over life size in two years, but it was not until 1895 that the monument was erected in front of the Town Hall of Calais because of opposition by the Municipality on the ground that the figures were not sufficiently “heroic.”
The monument commemorates an event early in the disastrous Hundred Years’ War, which devastated France because of her inability to oppose the repeated raids of the English army. English archers had developed a new military technique, the massed flight of “clothyard” arrows shot from light bows, and in every battle after Crecy in 1346, when the troops of Edward III demonstrated the effectiveness of this new weapon against the loosely organized, heavily armored French knights, they continued to hold the field, even against superior numbers until the advent of gunpowder.
After the battle of Crecy, Edward laid siege to the port of Calais, but heroism and self-sacrifice enabled the townsmen to endure under the leadership of Jean de Vienne for eleven months. Weakened by famine and disheartened by the withdrawal of promised aid from Philip VI. the town asked for terms. Its fate is told by the ancient chronicler Froissart.
Edward would spare the town if six leading burghers were delivered to him bare-headed, bare-footed, with ropes about their necks, and the keys to the town and its fortress in their hands. Eustache de St. Pierre, a wealthy merchant, volunteered and five others followed his example. The English barons, moved by this heroism and devotion, attempted to dissuade Edward from his sadistic purpose. He persisted but reluctantly gave in to the Queen, “great with child.” According to Froissard he turned them over to her and she released them, honorably clothed, banqueted, and attended, but there is a record in the Tower of London of the imprisonment of one Jean de Vienne and his companions.
Above. The Siege of Calais, from Jean de Wavrin‘s Chroniques d’Angleterre and
The Burghers of Calais at the original commissioned location in Calais, France (1895)
Below. Installation at Stanford University and Casting in Victoria Tower Gardens, London, England, purchased by the British Government in 1911, one of the 12 casts of this piece. Photo: Adrian Pingstone.
Left is a photograph (original full size photo here) of the large version of this piece. Right is a photograph by William Dudziak of the 18.75″ study size shows that the small and large versions of this piece are of similar quality. From 1895 to 1905, sculptor/ mathematician Henri Lebossé worked with Rodin to produce smaller versions of five of the ‘Burghers.’ The first of these small ‘Burghers’ were ordered by the banker Peytel. This edition was in demand among art collectors, who could now purchase the famous ‘Burghers’ in a size that could be displayed in their homes.
