Auguste Rodin

***"Also, I had a crazy theory about how Mario is in a coma..."***

**Parts of this article are based on speculation.**
They are not considered an official part of the *Book of Mario* lore. These story elements are theoretical.

**François Auguste René Rodin** (12 November 1840 – 17 November 1917) is a French sculptor and an important figure in the story of Book of Mario 64. Although he is best known for his contributions to modern art, he is also the original owner of the Star of Rodin. Throughout his career, he would use the Star of Rodin to create sculptures with an incredible degree of realism and detail.

## Early Life

Rodin was born into a working-class family in Paris. He began drawing at the age of 10, and later attended the *Petite École*, a school specializing in art and mathematics, between the ages of 14 and 17. After leaving the *Petite École*, he would start his profession as a craftsman, producing decorative objects and architectural embellishments.

In 1862, Rodin's sister, Maria, died of peritonitis. Having introduced her to an unfaithful suitor, Rodin was struck with guilt and joined a Catholic congregation, turning away from art. However, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, head of the congregation, recognized Rodin's artistic talents and believed him unsuitable for the congregation, and urged him to continue his sculpting.

He would spend the next decade resuming his studies while continuing his work as a craftsman. During this time, he would begin living with a young seamstress named Rose Beuret, briefly serve in the Franco-Prussian War, and move to Belgium to support his family. His artwork would also sit in his workshop and go unseen during this time.

## The Star of Rodin and Rise to Fame

After having saved enough money to travel, Rodin would visit Italy for two months. During his visit, he would become fascinated with the works of Donatello and Michelangelo. More importantly, however, he would discover the artifact that would become known as the Star of Rodin. Bringing it back with him in Belgium, he would begin work on *The Age of Bronze*, his first major work of art. Rodin used the Star to grant himself miraculous skill in sculpting, which resulted in *The Age of Bronze* being so realistic that critics accused him of casting it from a living model.

He would later work on *The Gates of Hell*, a monumental sculpture originally a commissioned for the unfinished Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. *The Gates of Hell* is a gateway that depicts scenes from Dante's *Inferno*, featuring 186 figures in high relief with great attention to detail, thanks to the Star of Rodin. Many of the figures depicted in this would later be reproduced as independent sculptures and become his most famous works of art, including *The Thinker*, *The Three Shades*, and *The Kiss*.

By the early 1900's, his artwork has become renown around the world. Throughout the entirety of his career, he was able to keep the existence of the Star of Rodin a secret.

## Death and Legacy

On 17 November 1917, Auguste Rodin had died of influenza at the age of 77 in his villa on the outskirts of Paris.

Following his death, to commemorate his extensive contributions to religious art, the Star of Rodin was housed within the Star Port Church in Heaven. Since then, the Star has been used to control the TV of Heaven.