the burghers of calais

The Burghers of Calais is a famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin that commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War in 1346-47. The sculpture depicts six prominent citizens (burghers) of the French city of Calais who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the English king Edward III to save their city after an eleven-month siege. The burghers offered their lives in exchange for the city's safety and were expected to be executed, but their lives were eventually spared through the intervention of Queen Philippa of Hainault. Rodin's sculpture, created between 1884 and 1889, portrays the men not as heroic figures but as individuals full of anguish, fear, and inner conflict, showing them in rough robes with ropes around their necks. The work is noted for its emotional intensity and its break with traditional heroic monuments, emphasizing the human suffering and sacrifice involved in their act. The sculpture exists in multiple castings and can be viewed from all angles, highlighting each man's distinctive expression and stance. This monument was commissioned by the city of Calais to honor this story of bravery and sacrifice during one of the most difficult moments in its history.