“The Thinker” (French: “Le Penseur”)

Who Sculpted this? Auguste Rodin

Where is he from? France

When was this sculpted? Late 19th Century

What is this made of? Bronze

Someone has a lot on their mind. What do you think he is thinking about? And how is it making him feel? Rodin felt that his thinker was not just thinking with his brain but with every muscle of his body. Look at the muscles in his back and legs and the way his toes grip the rock. The sculptor used his knowledge of the human body to give life to a still statue.

Originally the statue was entitled “The Poet.” It was part of Rodin’s bigger sculpture, “The Gates of Hell”, based on the epic poem “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri. “The Poet” was intended to be the centerpiece of the gates and is thought to represent Dante himself, looking down and thinking of his poem. The statue was later exhibited alone as “The Thinker” and became even more popular than the Gate. There are over 20 casts of the sculpture today, located at museums all over the world.

Fun Fact: Rodin applied three times to the same art school Bouguereau attended, the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Rodin was never accepted.