Gary Arseneau - Deception: Are These Really Rodins?

JEAN CHATELAIN 

In the 1981 National Gallery of Art’s Rodin Rediscovered exhibition catalogue, Ruth Butler, Albert Elsen and Kirk Varnedoe write: "This entire project depended heavily upon the cooperation and expertise of the Musee Rodin staff, headed by Jean Chatelain and Monique Laurent." 

"THE SAME PLASTER MODEL WILL BE USED" 

On page 279 of the essay "An Original in Sculpture" in the National Gallery of Art’s 1981 Rodin Rediscovered exhibition catalogue, University of Paris Professor and former Director of the Museums of France Jean Chatelain makes a very important statement. He writes:

 "The examples are made from the same model but are eventually completed by different craftsmen at intervals of several years. When the twelfth copy of The Burghers of Calais is cast, the same plaster model will be used as was used the first time in 1894, but of course different craftsmen will carry out the casting."