During a transformative trip to Paris in 1923, the Philadelphia movie theater magnate and philanthropist Jules Mastbaum fell deeply in love with the powerful, expressive sculptures of Auguste Rodin. In France, the legendary sculptor had spent his final years occupying the Hôtel Biron, a magnificent 18th-century mansion in the heart of the city that served as his personal studio, living space, and exhibition venue. Inspired by this integration of art and environment, Mastbaum resolved to create a dedicated sanctuary in Philadelphia that would be truly befitting of Rodin's spectacular artwork.
To bring his vision to life, Mastbaum hired the esteemed design team of French-American architect Paul Cret and French landscape architect Jacques Gréber. Together, they envisioned a Beaux-Arts classical building nestled within a meticulously tailored, formal garden setting. The chosen site was the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a broad, tree-lined boulevard expressly designed to evoke the grand sweep of the Champs-Élysées. The momentum for this grand urban design had been heavily spurred on by the City Beautiful movement and the architectural triumphs of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
Conceptually, the museum building was intended to serve as a spiritual tomb and monument to the sculptor. Guarding the entrance are the monumental "Gates of Hell", a towering bronze project that Rodin obsessively worked on for nearly four decades. Considering the dark, tortured theological iconography flanking the entryway of a public museum, it is best not to think too deeply about the implications of that particular choice.
Tragically, Jules Mastbaum passed away in 1926 before he could see his dream realized. It was his wife, Etta Wedell Mastbaum, who stepped in to manage the complex construction and financing of the project. She deserves immense credit for her steadfast determination to follow this masterpiece through to its completion in 1929. The accompanying slides preserve this journey, featuring historic images of Rodin's original Parisian museum.
