The Burghers of Calais (First Maquette) 1884, Musée Rodin cast 7/8 in 1987 Bronze 23 3/4 x 14 7/8 x 13 in. Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation The first maquette of The Burghers of Calais depicts the men bound together with a rope atop a high base, making their heroism appear all the more dramatic. Rodin decided to show all six men taking their first steps toward the camp of Edward III, thereby making them a generalized symbol of selfless, patriotic heroism. Rodin's design defied nineteenth-century academic standards, which traditionally portrayed only a single heroic figure. The committee was pleased with Rodin's first model of The Burghers of Calais, however, they wanted to see a second maquette that would be a reduced version of the final monument. The second maquette differed greatly, as Rodin now began working on the figures individually, giving each of them their own distinctive character and human dimensions. He made each one separately and, in keeping with academic traditions, he modeled them nude before clothing them. He also completed many different studies, modeling fragments such as hands and heads.