Tragic Muse 1894-1896, Musée Rodin cast 3/8 in 1986 Bronze 13 x 25 ½ x 15 ¼ in. Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation In an 1890 maquette for the Monument to Victor Hugo, Rodin included the figure of the Tragic Muse, which was first known as Justice Vengeresse (Avenging Justice), the name of a vehement muse from Hugo's poem Le Châtiments (Castigations). The figure evolved over time, and in the Salon version of the Monument to Victor Hugo (1897), she was shown crouching in a more dynamic pose as she whispers into the ear of the listening poet, inspiring him with her passionate words. The Tragic Muse was first exhibited as an independent sculpture in 1897, when Rodin sent a life-size bronze cast to Geneva as a gift to the city.