Executed in 1877, The Age of Bronze brought Rodin fame and recognition, marking a turning point in his career. After his release from military service in January 1871, Rodin moved to Brussels for a period of six years. During this time, he travelled to Italy, discovering Florence and Rome, and immersing himself in the creative power of Michelangelo, whom he admired above all. On his return to Brussels, the sculptor continued work on a plaster male nude that had kept him occupied since October 1875. In January 1877, he exhibited the model in the Artistic and Literary Circle of Brussels. Despite the accusation of lifecasting, Rodin succeeded in showing the bronze at the Paris Salon of 1880 under the title The Age of Bronze.

The original plaster, which was certainly destroyed, was presented at the Paris Salon the year of its creation. Since the sculpture had become too fragile, Rodin produced a new cast. Plaster casts from the same mould were sent to the museum of Dresden in 1894, to Philadelphia in 1899, to Budapest in 1900 and to St Petersburg in 1901. Some were also exhibited at the Pavillon de l’Alma in Paris in 1900. Fifteen plaster copies of The Age of Bronze are held in museums in France and around the world, either donated directly by the artist (St Petersburg), on loan from the State (Cognac), or acquired through the Musée Rodin (Hanoi, Saint-Gilles-lez-Bruxelles, Le Havre, Istanbul, etc.). The Age of Bronze entered the MuMa collection on May 18, 1929, at the same time as Saint John the Baptist and the Bust of Dalou.