Hôtel Biron

The Hôtel Biron stands today as a testament to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, but the building was almost lost to demolition in the early twentieth century. When the property was put up for sale in 1905, it was subdivided into temporary lodgings to pay for its upkeep while awaiting destruction. Its residents during this period of uncertainty included notable figures like the writer Jean Cocteau, the dancer Isadora Duncan, and the painter Henri Matisse. These artists occupied the rooms as mere placeholders before the mansion was slated to be replaced by a block of flats.