When Gertrude Käsebier visited France in 1905, she took several photographs of Rodin in his studio at Meudon. This composition shows the sculptor standing in front of his model of The Gates of Hell, his hand resting on his bust of the diplomat Baron Paul d’Estournelles de Constant. Initially, Rodin posed in a dark suit, but Käsebier found this outfit to be unflattering and suggested that he wear a smock instead. The resulting photograph, which gives the viewer a sense of how Rodin appeared in his studio, is considered one of the best portraits of the sculptor.