When, in 1885, Bourdelle moved into 16, impasse du Maine, amid the gardens and vines, artists' studios were "as numerous as blades of grass among the paving stones" - the sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou and painter Eugène Carrière were among his neighbours. Bourdelle was based in this land of arts for around forty-five years and stayed faithful to the studios, which were part laboratory and part sanctuary. In the early 1920's, it became clear that creating a museum would preserve his life's work. Determined to bequeath his work "as Rodin did", in order to create a museum bearing his name, Bourdelle drew up several buildings plans in 1928. He went as far as to imagine a museum display where each sculpture had its place. However, the museum he imagined would not come to life until after his death.