In the heart of Paris's elegant 7th arrondissement, a single day can transport you through the intense creative worlds of two French icons: the monumental sculptor Auguste Rodin and the provocative singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. This unique cultural journey, moving from serene sculpture gardens to an intimately preserved artist's home, reveals surprising parallels between geniuses of different centuries.
The Timeless Serenity of the Musee Rodin
Housed in the stunning 18th-century Hotel Biron, the Musee Rodin offers a peaceful retreat near Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. On a crisp late autumn day, the meticulously kept formal gardens provide the perfect setting to encounter masterpieces like The Kiss and The Thinker amidst birdsong and rustling leaves. The initial fear of being overwhelmed by scale melts away, replaced by a profound sense of calm.
Inside the mansion, once Rodin's home and workshop, spacious rooms filled with natural light chart the artist's evolution. The collection is vast, featuring nearly 30,000 sculptures, drawings, photographs, and objets d'art. Visitors can trace the development of major works through maquettes, plaster originals, bronzes, and marbles, including various versions of The Gates of Hell and the Monument to Balzac.
The museum rightly dedicates significant space to Camille Claudel, Rodin's celebrated contemporary and former lover, whose powerful work stands as a testament to her own formidable talent. Splashes of colour from paintings by friends like Monet and Van Gogh adorn the walls, completing the picture of Rodin's artistic world.
The Candid World of Maison Gainsbourg
A short walk away, a starkly different but equally compelling experience awaits at the Maison Gainsbourg. This complex comprises the actual house at 5 bis rue de Verneuil, where the legendary and controversial Serge Gainsbourg lived for 22 years, and a modern museum directly opposite.
Guided by the recorded voice of his daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, visitors move like ghosts through the claustrophobic, dimly lit rooms. The house is preserved exactly as it was when Gainsbourg died in 1991, filled with the intimate debris of daily life: pianos, artworks, books, clothes, kitchen utensils, and even cigarette butts. Each item holds stories, with personal touches like rows of his iconic white Repetto Zizi shoes—the first pair bought by his partner Jane Birkin—offering poignant glimpses into the man behind the myth.
The museum across the street serves as a treasure trove of archival material. It showcases album covers, posters, and photographs, with notable focus on the global reception of his most notorious 1969 hit, "Je t'aime... moi non plus," recorded with Birkin. After exploring, visitors can enjoy a coffee at Le Gainsbarre, which transforms into a piano bar by night, or browse the small shop selling influential books like Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil and Gainsbourg memorabilia.
Connecting the Creative Threads
Though separated by medium and era, the artistic spirits of Rodin and Gainsbourg resonate in the same Parisian neighbourhood. Rodin channelled overt sensuality and sublimated violence into his unparalleled exploration of human form and passion in bronze and marble. Similarly, Gainsbourg allowed his most primal urges uncensored expression, filtered through a razor-sharp aesthetic sensibility and musical genius.
Both sites offer deeply personal encounters with artists who defined French culture. The Rodin museum provides a chronological, thematic journey through a lifetime of work in a serene setting. Maison Gainsbourg offers a raw, unfiltered snapshot of a life lived intensely, frozen in time. Together, they demonstrate the many ways artistic legacy can be preserved and experienced.
Plan Your Visit:
- Musee Rodin: Open Tuesday through Sunday. General admission is approximately €13 (AUD $23). The museum hosts temporary exhibitions and major cultural events. More at musee-rodin.fr/en
- Maison Gainsbourg: Visits to the house must be booked well in advance due to high demand. Photography is not permitted inside. The combined "House & Museum" tour lasts about 90 minutes. The shop and bar can be visited freely. Details at maisongainsbourg.fr/en
