Meditation, Bronze sculpture in Tuileries Garden, France
Meditation is a bronze sculpture located in the Tuileries Garden that depicts a young woman with her head tilted in contemplation. The figure, standing about 5 feet (1.58 meters) tall, conveys introspection through its simple yet expressive pose.
Auguste Rodin created this work in 1885, originally as a plaster model that was later cast in bronze. The sculpture has remained part of the garden since its installation.
The title Méditation comes from the pose Rodin gave the figure, whose head leans toward the right shoulder as if lost in thought. The work was conceived for The Gates of Hell, Rodin's unfinished portal for a planned museum of decorative arts, where the figure appears in the right-hand panel. Visitors can compare the bronze in the Tuileries with the same figure on the plaster model of the Gates at the Musée Rodin.
The bronze stands in the open air of the Tuileries Garden, unfenced and reachable from the central allées; the ground is gravel and level, so wheelchairs and strollers pass easily. Light on the dark patina shifts through the day, and the figure is best seen in profile from the path running toward the Grand Bassin.
Rodin worked on different versions of this figure, experimenting with details like arm and hand positions across his sculptures. Some versions appear without arms entirely, while others show the right hand extended outward in a different gesture.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,174 contributors worldwide.
