Philadelphia's Rodin Museum Shows Off New Exterior Renovations
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Restoration work has now been completed on the exterior and gardens of the landmark Rodin Museum, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 22nd Street.
The multimillion-dollar project was funded by city, state, and private funds. Today, Bastille Day, was chosen for the unveiling to honor French sculptor Auguste Rodin, as well as Paul Philippe Cret, the original architect of the Rodin Museum and garden and the Parkway.
The iconic "Thinker" statue has been refitted to its base after anti-corrosion treatment, as have the famous "Moulin" gates, the entrance to the garden courtyard with its reflecting pool (below).
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The gardens have been replanted, and the façade of the stone building has been restored.
Now, Timothy Rub, director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which operates the Rodin Museum, says the work will move inside.
"We'll renovate the galleries, we'll clean up the bases, we'll actually restore it to what it looked like in 1930," he told KYW Newsradio today.
It's hoped the work will be complete by next June, in time for the opening of the new Barnes Foundation building next door.
Reported by Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio 1060
