The Cathedral 1908, Musée Rodin cast in 1955 Bronze 25 ¼  x  12 ¾  x  13 ½  in. Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation The Cathedral is composed of two larger-than-life-size casts of of the same right hand in a prayerlike gesture. The shape and gesture of the hands are reminiscent of the vertical reach of a medieval cathedral, perhaps referring to Rodin's passion for Gothic architecture. Rodin developed a keen interest in French cathedrals while on a journey to Italy during the winter of 1875. Taking a train from Brussels, where he was living and working at the time, one of his first stops was in the northeastern French city of Reims. Rodin was struck by Reims' Cathedral of Notre Dame which was considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in France. He retained his passion for Gothic architecture throughout his life and even documented it in his 1914 publication The Cathedrals of France.