Porte Gli Inferi Apr 2026
A group of three identical figures at the very top whose arms point downward toward the gates, signaling the hopelessness of those who enter.
The bronze doors stand over 6 meters (20 feet) tall and feature more than 200 tormented human figures writhing in suffering and despair. Key Figures: Porte Gli inferi
The phrase (Italian for "The Gates of Hell") most commonly refers to Auguste Rodin's monumental sculptural masterpiece, La Porte de l'Enfer . This lifelong project served as a creative laboratory for the artist, eventually spawning some of his most famous individual works, including The Thinker and The Kiss . The Masterpiece: Rodin’s "The Gates of Hell" A group of three identical figures at the
The primary theme was drawn from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno , specifically the first part of the Divine Comedy . He was also influenced by Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du mal and Ovid’s Metamorphoses . This lifelong project served as a creative laboratory
In 1880, the French government commissioned Rodin to create a set of decorative doors for a planned Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. While the museum was never built, Rodin continued to obsessively work on the project for until his death in 1917.
Depicted in their eternal struggle, these figures eventually became the basis for The Kiss .