the burghers of calais

The Rodin bronze statue of the Burghers of Calais, or as the locals call it ‘Les Bourgeois de Calais’, is a very impressive and imposing piece of public art. The six figures are slightly bigger than life size and it is unusual in its composition the way in which the Burghers are set out in a group. Unsurprisingly it offers an excellent photo opportunity for tourist with the town hall clock tower in the background. The statue is erected in the garden is immediately in front of the car park for the Calais town hall (see Trip Advisor review "Seeing Calais in a different way"). The garden area is a quiet area to sit and relax. On my visit I had some time to kill before my onward journey so took the opportunity to capture some video of the monument (see ‘A Study of the Burghers of Calais’on YouTube (http://youtu.be/8CcifV4KPPk)) as well as taking some photographs.I was once naïve enough to think that artists made individual pieces of art. With paintings there are various studies before the final masterpiece. There are a number of bronze casts of this statue throughout the world. Seeing the statue in the city in which it depicts the historical events marking the end of the siege of Calais in 1347 is special. Examples of the clay and plaster cast studies for this work of art are found in the nearby ‘Musee des Beaux Arts de Calais’.The way the statue is mounted on a small grassy plinth with the ability to circumnavigate it is a thoughtful way to display it, rather than it being stuffed in a corner. It also means that the statue can be viewed from all angles as the Burghers are gathered in a way that makes them visible from all angles. I’ve seen versions of this monument in museums, in a cramped space with artificial light. But it looks at its best in the Calais town hall gardens bathed in sunshine.

Rodin statue situated just in front of the magnificent town hall. Check your history on the Citizens of Calais - makes for interesting reading.Watch out for the migrants - they are more aggressive now than ever before.

This is an amazing statue and well worth the visit - especially if you are close by visiting some of the other attractions.Unfortunately it was let down when we saw it as it was surrounded entirely by a tacky fair. We had to step over cables and through amusements and roundabouts to reach the statue - and any idea of taking any photos was out of the question because of the background. I should imagine that if the fair wasn't there it would look amazing - especially with the wonderful architecture of the town hall behind it.

What can one say about a piece of well-known sculpture? It's famous. It's Rodin. It's large. I liked it.

Outside of the Town Hall, this amazing piece of art is accessible to all and in a great place to be photographed.

This is an original Rodin that they just have out in a square! One of the masters of sculpture and you could actually climb onto one of his masterpieces. As an American, where art is kept behind ropes, I found this fascinating. The sculpture itself is amazing and the story behind it (do your homework!) is very interesting as well. There are great photo opportunities with the beautiful Calais City Hall in the background and the amazing garden that surrounds it. You don't need to spend a lot of time there, but it is breathtaking and worth a stop if you're in Calais.

Great to see the original of this much photographed sculpture. Beautifully kept garden surrounding it.

in a lovely garden setting with a beautiful backdrop of the town hall. what more can I say? definitely worth a wander over, oooo and there is a lovely patisserie just down the hill from it, over the road on the corner.

Six Burghers – this monument by Rodin is a local source of pride and reflects an aspect of the history of Calais due to its location on the channel coast. Over the centuries the town has been in both French and English hands as well as being occupied by the Nazis in the Second World War. The monument remembers 6 local people and the suffering of Calais citizens during a 13 months brocade by the English who tried to starve out the residents to gain an English foothold on French soil.

I wouldn't have found this statue half so impressive had it not been for the fact that I looked up the story behind it before I visited. If you're thinking of visiting and have access to the internet I would highly recommend that as it puts this lovely piece in context. The real fascination is in the event this commemorates - without that background it's just a great statue. And it is a great statue, full of emotion and conveying the full burden of the responsibility borne by this group all those years ago. I won't spoil this review by telling you the story but a quick Google will reveal all. The added bonus is the wonderful garden setting and the marvellous backdrop as The Burghers are set right in front of the highly decorative Calais Town Hall (Hotel De Ville).

A very nice monument surrounded by the most beautiful gardens!!! Worth visiting when in Calais! Would visit again.

Worth seeing and the very impressive town hall.Not sure wether I would make a special journey to visit but well worth seeing if you are idling a little time away before lunch or the ferry departure

Set in beautiful gardens immaculately kept. Its worthwhile reading about the history of this sculpture and to get idea of the historical setting before visiting the site.

We enjoyed coming here to see the Bergers again. Such a delight! Well loved and well admired. The flower beds were well maintained and stocked with lovely blooms.

Very impressive work of art located in front of the opulent Hotel de Ville, all set off by well tended gardens which are re-presented with the change of seasons.