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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...aged mayor. The names and circumstances of three had been always known, the brothers Jacques and Pierre de Wissant and Jean d'Aire. Recently the names of the remaining two had been recovered from oblivion by a discovery made in the Vatican Library. They were Jean de Fiennes and Andrieux d'Andres. Finding his opinion confirmed by the first sketches he made, he proposed to the committee that he should be allowed to supply the whole group for the same sum, fifteen thousand francs, that had been stipulated for the one statue. The proposal was accepted. His friends blamed him, and considered he was acting foolishly. From a pecuniary point of view, they were right. Such an undertaking at such a price meant loss, not gain, in pocket. But, while not despising money, Rodin has never been able to weigh it in the balance, when a masterpiece has been in the other scale. Enthusiastic at the prospect of so great a work, he visited Calais, explored the ground where the pathetic scene had been enacted, became familiar with Froissart's account of it, and then set about putting the six heroes on their legs, according to the varying notions he had formed of their persons and temperaments, and the parts they had individually played on the occasion. 1 Bareheaded, unshod, with halters round their necks, and the keys of the town and the castle in their hands. By the month of July 1886, he had his rough model in reduced size ready for examination by the Calais committee; and, one fine morning, the inquisitives of the town were able to see him at the Mairie helping to unpack the case in which it had arrived. The result of the inspection was quite favourable to the sculptor; but some months elapsed before he was officially authorised to proceed with his work. The reason ...

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