French Prime Minister Manuel Valls inaugurated the now fully renovated Musee Rodin in Paris on Monday after three years of constant renovation work and spending close to €16 million (AU$24 million) that included urgent floor repairs and complete refurbishing of the interior design.

The museum shall be opened to the public on Thursday, which is also Rodin’s 175th birthday, according to the official website of Musee Rodin. It will include elegant and never-before-seen displays of the French sculptor’s works. The project cost was partly funded by using the original moulds for casting new bronzes. The rest came from the French state.

Hotel Biron and its garden, the 18th century Parisian mansion that hosts the museum, were used by Rodin in years that led up to his death in 1917. The mansion has versions of the sculptor’s masterpieces including “The Kiss” and “The Thinker.” It attracts more than 700,000 visitors a year.

“[Visitors] will see an improved visibility of the works thanks to the furniture which allows more works to be shown,” Musee Rodin director Catherine Chevillot said in a report from The National.

The improved layout and intelligent lighting effects will allow visitors to get close to the sculptures. Visitors will also be able to enjoy Auguste Rodin’s personal collection of paintings and sculptures including works by Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh. According to the AFP via Yahoo, the revamped layout highlights Rodin’s creative development.

One of Rodin’s famous works is the "Monument à Balzac," (Monument to Balzac) - a tribute to Honoré de Balzac, the French writer whose novels blatantly exposed crime, poverty and the unnecessary wealth of 19th century France. A doorway, 6 metres high and known as "The Gates of Hell," is another of the sculptor’s popular works. It was commissioned in 1880 and was meant for the Museum of Decorative Arts. Unfortunately, that museum was never built. "The Gates of Hell" depicts scenes from Dante's "Inferno." Rodin's other sculptures are "The Burghers of Calais" (1889) and "The Age of Bronze" (1877).

Click here and here to learn more about the Musee Rodin's renovation details and what other surprises are in store for visitors of the museum.

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