In the early 1890s, when living in Meudon, Rodin began to collect ancient works of art from Egypt, Greece and Rome, then later from the Far East.

Fragments of Venuses, Greek vases and Egyptian figurines in bronze invaded the spaces in which he worked and lived, replacing the rare casts after Antique statues, traditionally present in a sculptor’s studio.

As Rodin’s fame grew, the many commissions he received enabled him to purchase over 6,000 works of art between 1893 and 1917.