Les Bourgeois de Calais (also known as The Burghers of Calais in English) is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin. It was originally cast in bronze in 1895 and is one of Rodin's most famous works. The sculpture commemorates an event during the Hundred Years' War, when the French port city of Calais surrendered to them after an eleven-month siege by the English.
The sculpture depicts six characters: Eustache de Saint Pierre, Jacques and Pierre de Wissant, Jean de Fiennes, Andrieus d'Andres and Jean d'Aire. These men became victims of a ritual of surrender imposed by King Edward III of England in August 1347. They sacrificed themselves to save the lives of the inhabitants of Calais, who were about to be conquered by the English. Rodin turned this seemingly simple capitulation ritual into an act of heroism, in which the citizens saved the city from destruction.
The sculpture can be seen in the Musée Rodin in Paris, but twelve original bronze casts and numerous copies have also been made1. It is a powerful symbol of courage and sacrifice, and it remains an important work of art in the history of sculpture.