The Gates of Hell inspired Rodin's boundless imagination, and in accomplishing this creation, he reached the height of his sculptural skills. Rodin created countless statues for the Gates of Hell, including some of Rodin's most famous works, such as The Thinker, Three Shadows, The Kiss, Adam and Eve. The Gates of Hell became the stage for Rodin's sculpture.
In the "Gates of Hell" before the architectural decoration sculpture is usually in accordance with the sculpture of the storyline will be the composition of the average division, in the layout of the more regular. Rodin will be the "Gates of Hell" as a whole as a large composition, and only shows a theme of hell: "You come here, give up all hope!" This sculpture, when viewed in its entirety, comes from the sky, with 187 human bodies stormily intertwined, and crowded with people who have fallen into hell at every corner of the gate. The entire gate plane is undulating and interlaced with high relief and shallow relief, they are in the light, forming an intricate variation of dark shadows, so that the entire gate seems gloomy and somber, full of horror that can not be calmed. The sculpture incorporates the lower part of the double figure into the marble whole, avoiding the cumbersome feet and strengthening the overall sense of the seated figure. The figures are carved in an extremely classical and realistic manner. Their undulating, delicate and elegant bodies and gestures evoke a very vivid effect of light and shadow. It is as if their inner youthful enthusiasm and life are shimmering with these lights and shadows. When we look at this vivid and dazzling masterpiece, everyone has to be excited by it, that is, the origin of life is touched. Love is an eternal theme that has been immortalized in the world for ages. Rodin chose the nude man and woman kissing, which is the first contact of pure flesh, and therefore the most moving. This pair of lovers burned by the fire of desire is placed in the "gates of hell", expressing the author's painful and contradictory thoughts that never have an answer: human sin comes from the insurmountable desires, and the desires are due to the pursuit of human light and joy, therefore, the human desires are the abyss of sin, the human joy is oriented to the sinful path, and the human pain is the doomed path. way, and human suffering is that which is destined to be irresistible and never ending.
More than two decades after the creation of "The Gates of Hell," these portrait sculptures once again demonstrate his keen observation and great skill. He used classical techniques to bring the portrait figures to life, full of individuality and color. However, Rodin's sculpture and the academy of sculpture has a clear difference, his works are more simple, without any ornamentation, the sculpture itself did not do too fine processing, are kept rough pinch and chiseling traces. Rodin believes that this is a form of beauty unique to sculpture, which often creates an unpredictable effect of light and shadow, and enhances the richness of people's feelings about the sculpture, so Rodin often intends to emphasize it.