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This rare magnificent ensemble of bronze sculptures
captures the detail of the original. The Burghers of
Calais (Les Bourgeois de Calais) is one of the most
famous sculptures by Auguste Rodin, completed in
1889. It serves as a monument to an occurrence in
1347 during the Hundred Years' War, when Calais, an
important French port on the English Channel, was
under siege by the English for over a year.The story
goes that England's Edward III, after a victory in
the Battle of Crécy, laid siege to Calais, while
Philip VI of France ordered the city to hold out at
all costs. Philip failed to lift the siege, and
starvation eventually forced the city to parley for
surrender.Edward offered to spare the people of the
city if any six of its top leaders would surrender
themselves to him, presumably to be executed. Edward
demanded that they walk out almost naked, wearing
nooses around their necks, and carrying the keys to
the city and castle. One of the wealthiest of the
town leaders, Eustache de Saint Pierre, volunteered
first, and five other burghers soon followed suit,
stripping down to their breeches. Saint Pierre led
this envoy of emaciated volunteers to the city
gates. It was this moment, and this poignant mix of
defeat, heroic self-sacrifice, and willingness to
face imminent death that Rodin captured in his
sculpture, scaled somewhat larger than life.In
history, though the burghers expected to be
executed, their lives were spared by the
intervention of England's Queen, Philippa of
Hainault, who persuaded her husband to exercise
mercy by claiming that their deaths would be a bad
omen for her unborn child.The names of the six men
are:1. Eustache de Saint-Pierre - the bearded man,
is the richest, oldest, and most prominent citizen
of the group and the first to volunteer.2. Jean
d’Aire - the second to volunteer, stands firmly in
place, his jaw set, holding one of the keys to the
city.3. Jacques de Wiessant - the third to
volunteer, has one arm raised and stands behind
Eustache de Saint-Pierre4. Pierre de Wiessant -
Jacques de Wiessant’s younger brother and the
fourth to volunteer, turns sideways toward Jean de
Fiennes with one arm raised and his mouth open.5.
Jean de Fiennes - the youngest burgher, stands with
arms outstretched and mouth open.6. Andrieu
d’Andres - buries his head in his hands. His bent
posture and enormous hands obscure his face.