What’s So Special About The Thinker by Auguste Rodin?

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin has become almost synonymous with deep thought. It is often used to represent philosophy. It can also be employed ironically as a symbol of overthinking. From its appearance in films like Night at the Museum 2 to Banksy’s tongue-in-cheek version The Drinker, Rodin’s famous sculpture of a sitting man in deep thought has been endlessly reinterpreted and referenced. But what is it that makes The Thinker so extraordinary? The statue’s ambiguousness could be a reason behind its popularity, but it’s certainly not the only one.

The Thinker is one of Rodin’s most iconic works, which the sculptor began as part of his monumental project—a portal for a new museum of decorative arts in Paris. Rodin received the commission in 1880 but never finished the doors. The portal, known as the Gates of Hell, was inspired by The Inferno of the Divine Comedy, written by the Florentine poet Dante Alighieri. When finished, the gates were supposed to be gigantic bronze doors over 19 feet high. Unlike cathedral portals in Gothic art, the entire composition of the Gates of Hell wasn’t rhythmical and orderly but chaotic and passionate, with over 180 writhing figures framing the entrance. Unfortunately, the plans were never carried through as the new museum wasn’t built.

Numerous figure studies for the Gates of Hell exist, featuring various characters from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Rodin turned many of these figures, which he began as studies for the large-scale museum commission, into separate works of art. Some of these include The Kiss, which represents Paolo and Francesca, two star-crossed lovers who Dante meets in Inferno.

Most other figures are portrayed in movement, while The Thinker is stationary. Rodin was interested in creating three-dimensional figures that could be observed from every side. The Thinker is no exception. Bending slightly to the left, the male figure sits in an unlikely pose. The Thinker supports his right elbow on his left thigh, with his head bent forward and leaning on his right hand, while his left hand rests on his left knee.

As the centerpiece of the Gates of Hell, The Thinker seems to ponder the fate of the human soul and the meaning of life itself. The tortured focus of the man’s mind is reflected in his body’s tense muscles and concentrated expression as if implying that the hell we all face is in our own minds. Many biographers suggest that Rodin’s model for The Thinker was a French boxer, Jean Baud. The statue has become a highly recognizable symbol of deep thought and one of the most famous sculptures in the world.

Even before it became clear that Rodin wasn’t going to finish the Gates of Hell commission, the French sculptor cast The Thinker as a separate bronze sculpture in 1888 and then made a larger version in 1904. He originally called the figure The Poet, representing the poet Dante Alighieri, whose written work inspired the entire composition. The figure’s nakedness shows that Rodin saw The Thinker more as an allegorical figure representing poetry and profound thought rather than a historical portrait of the famous Florentine writer.

There’s another popular theory that sees The Thinker as Rodin himself, presenting himself as an artist and creator. Like other Rodin sculptures, The Thinker is muscular and rugged. Placing the artist at the center of human suffering displayed in his Gates of Hell. We can conclude that Rodin might have been making a point about the artist’s role in the world.

Inspirations Behind Rodin’s Sculpture

Scholars agree that a definite influence came from Michelangelo’s Il Penseroso, the central sculpture from Lorenzo de Medici’s tomb in Florence. Unlike the tomb of Pope Julius II, which he finished, Michelangelo never completed the sculptural composition of Lorenzo de Medici’s tomb. Il Penseroso represents Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino, the namesake and grandson of the famous Florentine ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent. The pose of Michelangelo’s statue is similar to Rodin’s The Thinker, as is the perplexed facial expression. The bent pose with the head held up by one hand is often described as the traditional pose of melancholy. This can also be seen in Albrecht Dürer’s print Melencolia I.

Another influence came from Ugolino and His Sons which was made by sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. This sculptural composition was also inspired by Dante’s Inferno. Here, the muscular male figures are grouped in tense and contorted poses, with the central figure of Ugolino in a similar pose to Rodin’s famous statue.

A combination of reasons contributed to The Thinker’s popularity. There’s the ground-breaking style first. Rodin first exhibited The Thinker in the 1880s, when the reigning style of sculpture was heavily influenced by Academicism, the style favored by the Paris Salon. The sculptures produced by the majority of 19th-century French artists were smooth, polished, and inspired by ancient Greek or Roman mythology or religious subjects. The Thinker’s size emphasized the rugged surface of the sculpture, which was characteristic of Rodin since he was more interested in showing the physical and emotional power of the human form than in creating an ideal statue modeled on the works of antiquity.

The Thinker revolutionized the idea of what a complete, finished statue was supposed to look like. Moreover, unlike the aesthetically smoothened muscles in Academic sculpture, The Thinker’s highlighted muscularity was highly innovative and even shocking to Rodin’s contemporaries. Many critics disliked the statue intensely and complained that Rodin’s figures looked unfinished. Therefore, The Thinker demonstrates the transition from 19th-century sculpture to modern sculpture.

There’s also a paradox in Rodin’s The Thinker that invites a variety of interpretations. The male figure’s pose is relaxed and contemplative, but if you look closely, his muscles are tense. This is especially obvious if you look at his clenched toes, bulging veins, and protruding shoulder and neck muscles. The figure looks like an athlete, suggesting physical strength instead of brainpower. Yet The Thinker is completely concentrated on the inner workings of his mind, staring into space and furrowing his brow in deep thought. This ambiguity makes the statue universally powerful. It covers the whole scope of human thought; The Thinker is both reasoning and intuitive, corporeal and spiritual. That’s why it remains simultaneously the symbol of both rational thought and creativity.

In 1906, the city of Paris acquired The Thinker, and the monumental sculpture was installed as a public monument in front of the Panthéon. The Thinker’s plain face was seen as democratic and innovative and the muscular figure as representing an ordinary working man. In 1922, five years after Rodin’s death, The Thinker was moved to the gardens of the Rodin Museum in Paris. In compliance with the wish expressed by Rodin, The Thinker was placed as the sculptor’s headstone at Meudon. The Thinker still marks the sculptor’s grave, serving as his memorial.

During his lifetime, Auguste Rodin made several casts of The Thinker. Today, more than 20 casts are in museums worldwide, while numerous later casts and copies are in private collections. Many of them were made after Rodin’s death when the sculptor’s fame made owning a cast of The Thinker very desirable for many collectors. Copies of Rodin’s The Thinker in various materials and sizes can be found in numerous universities and public institutions.

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin Was Nearly Destroyed

In 1970, a bomb nearly destroyed The Thinker at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The bombing was likely a publicity stunt by a radical political group opposing the War in Vietnam. Luckily, no visitors were hurt, although the explosion knocked The Thinker off its pedestal and damaged the sculpture’s base and feet. The Thinker at the Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the few casts made during Rodin’s lifetime and one of the 10 castings he personally oversaw. The publicity surrounding this atrocious act of vandalism made Rodin’s Thinker all the more famous. Luckily, the larger part of the sculpture remained intact, still pondering the eternal question.