Some artworks of Rodin were displayed in front of National Museum of Western Art

The sculpture in the photograph is part of The Burghers of Calais, one of the most celebrated works by Auguste Rodin. It stands outdoors at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, exposed to the open air rather than sheltered inside a gallery. From the original molds, twelve authorized editions were cast, and the figure in Ueno is one of these legitimate descendants. Cast in 1953 and installed here in 1959, it has long since passed its sixtieth year. While the city has changed its tempo again and again, the sculpture has remained in the same posture, quietly letting the noise of Tokyo slide past its back.

One cannot help suspecting that the curators of the time were ardent admirers of Rodin. A glance around the museum grounds reveals familiar names such as The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, scattered almost generously, as if someone had decided that, since the opportunity existed, they might as well display them all. Yet most visitors are drawn indoors by the glow of special exhibitions and pass these outdoor sculptures the way commuters hurry past a meeting spot, barely registering what stands beside them.

The Burghers of Calais depicts the citizens who volunteered to sacrifice themselves to save their port city during the Hundred Years’ War. What makes the work distinctly Rodin’s is that they do not look like triumphant heroes. Instead, they resemble a weary group of middle-aged men, burdened by the gravity of their choice. Muscles are exaggerated, fingers curl with nervous tension, and resolve coexists uneasily with doubt. It is not glory that dominates the scene, but hesitation, fatigue, and the quiet weight of having decided to step forward anyway.

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