One of the best known statues in the world
The Thinker Statue
Perhaps one of the most parodied works of art in the world, Le Penseur (The Thinker) by Auguste Rodin has inspired people worldwide for over 100 years. Often used as an icon of philosophy and the mental disciplines, the statuesque figure is wrought in the classical style, while the pose is uniquely Rodin. Sometimes called the “Wagner of Sculpture,” his works portray a wide range of human emotions often including defeat, pain and sorrow.
At 2m (6' 6”) tall, the Thinker statue is imposing to approach. Rodin's use of his characteristic rough strokes gives the sculpture a sense of contemplation in the face of terror.
The Thinker, originally titled "The Poet," was commissioned by Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts) in 1880 to grace the great doors at the entrance to the museum meant to embody the 1321 work “The Divine Comedy.” Originally meant to be Dante himself pondering the massive "Gates of Hell," The Thinker evolved to become a larger than life stand-alone piece. The museum in question never opened and Rodin never finished the Gates despite working on them for over a decade.
Rodin made a full-sized relief in 1902 to create the finished statue, though a full-sized casting of The Thinker was not shown until 1904 and only to paying audiences. In that same year, a single casting was made by A. A. Hebrard for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, but Rodin rejected it as inferior. This statue now resides at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, USA.
In 1906, The Thinker was Rodin's first statue to be publicly displayed, when it became the property of the city of Paris, France. It was then displayed at the entrance to the Pantheon until finally moving to the new Rodin museum (formerly the Hôtel Biron) in 1922.
Much earlier, in 1889, a small, plaster statuette of The Thinker was first exhibited at the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris. This is believed to be made from an original work done nine years earlier. The first cast of this 69cm (27 in.) figure was seen in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva, Switzerland. Rodin did not create the more famous, large bronze casts of The Thinker himself. Instead, under his supervision, Henri Lebosse cast several.
Currently traveling the world, the original cast of the Thinker statue is loaned to museums worldwide. Subsequent castings, over twenty in total, have been made from the original mould and reside on several continents.