Blog

Cantors Receive Exceptional Honor as Paris’ Musée Rodin Names Gallery ‘Hall Iris et B. Gerald Cantor’

Following three years of renovations that ended with five days of anticipatory celebrations, Paris’ beloved Musée Rodin opened to the public on November 12. The restored museum’s days of celebrations honored Iris and B. Gerald Cantor for their six decades of support for the museum, support first initiated by B. Gerald Cantor and then continued by Mrs. Cantor. The museum has commemorated this support by naming the premier gallery of the Hotel Biron “Hall Iris et B. Gerald Cantor,” an exceptional honor rarely given by a French museum.

Iris Cantor was at the Musée Rodin with members of the Foundation Board and many friends to witness the ribbon cutting by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. M. Valls lauded the Cantors and recognized the two American philanthropists for their extraordinary advocacy not only for the museum but also for a revived legacy for Rodin, who today is recognized as having transformed sculpture into a modern art form.

At a private luncheon in her honor in Hall Cantor, Mrs. Cantor spoke of her commitment to the Musée Rodin:

For all of us who love Rodin and treasure this museum, and have watched the renovations over the past three years, it’s thrilling to see the final result.

The Cantor name is linked to the Musée Rodin through six decades of an enjoyable, productive association that remains, at its heart, a great friendship. The reopening of the Musée brings our journey full circle — ensuring Rodin’s legacy while honoring another: the legacy of my late husband, B. Gerald Cantor.

Bernie was a businessman, a trailblazer in the financial world. But he had another passion: the art of Auguste Rodin. To use Bernie’s own words, Rodin was his magnificent obsession. When we met, I quickly realized that loving Bernie meant loving Rodin as well. As it turned out, they both captured my heart!

For Bernie, being a collector was just the beginning. He had a scholar’s thirst for knowledge. He spent long hours poring over art books with a magnifying glass in his hand. And when he wanted more insight into Rodin’s creative inspiration and production processes – when he wanted to walk in the footsteps of the great artist himself – he came to the Musée Rodin.

Bernie formed a friendship with the museum’s director at that time, Cécile Goldscheider. They didn’t speak each other’s language, but it didn’t matter – they understood each other. Madame Goldscheider often said that Bernie came here to learn. He did learn a great deal from Cécile and her colleagues — but he also shared his own expertise and generosity with them, helping the museum improve its systems and processes. For Bernie these were labors of love, fueled by a desire to preserve the genius of Rodin for all time, while being true to Rodin’s own vision.

As Bernie’s wife, and his partner in promoting the appreciation and study of Rodin, I was privileged not only to observe all of this, but to be a part of it. I loved our many visits to the Musée. What began as a simple friendship evolved into a lasting partnership that I am very proud to continue as the guardian of the Cantor legacy.

I wish that Bernie could be here today, to see the Musée Rodin as beautiful and functional as he envisioned. It’s an extraordinary honor to have the Cantor name on this exhibition hall, near The Hand of God, the Rodin piece that first captivated my husband — changing his life, and mine, in remarkable ways. I hope you know how grateful and proud Bernie would have been, and how much this recognition means to me and my family.

Merci beaucoup!