The Thinker

by Auguste Rodin

       Almost everyone is familiar with Auguste Rodin's sculputre of  "The Thinker."  That pose is quintessentially a man in thought.  The sculpture is in bronze and marble and was first cast in 1902.  The statue was originally referred to as "The Poet" and served as part of a commission for the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris to become a part of the sculptural exhibit at the door of the museum.  "The Poet"  AKA "The Thinker" was portraying the Italian Dante Alighieri's poem "The Divine Comedy" sitting at the gates of hell.  Rodin made 20 casts, all different, of "The Thinker."   These are found in many parts of Europe and North America.  Besides the obvious artistry of the sculpture, what is memorable to most is the realistic pose of a human being engaged in serious deep thought.  We have all seen someone in that pose at one time or another and maybe are conscious of falling into it ourselves.

Review posted by: Tigertail 

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