Rodin and Mucha at the Manès pavilion on the occasion of Rodin's exhibition, Prague, May...

The exhibition ran from 10 May - 15 July 1902 in a purpose-built pavilion designed by Jan Kotěra (1871-1923) in the Kinsky Gardens, Prague. The largest exhibition of Rodin's work held outside France during the sculptor’s lifetime, it featured 157 works including drawings. Rodin arrived in Prague on 28th May after the official opening. Mucha recalled: ‘We had rooms next to one another, so we lay on our beds with the doors open. Rodin must have been considerably disturbed because after a while he suggested we should walk around the rooms a bit. I got up and we took a little stroll in our nightshirts, but soon Rodin began to be rather worried because there was a gathering noise outside. Suddenly he grabbed my sleeve. From the street there came a mighty roar like an explosion: “Vive Rodin! Vive la France!” No chance of a rest now, Rodin rushed away from the window and from that moment avoided it like the plague, giving it a wide berth.’