The Thinker Statue made by Auguste Rodin at Rodin museum is one of the great iconic sculptures you don’t want to miss. Here are some amazing facts about the ‘The Thinker statue’ you may not have known. Let’s see what they are.
Who is the Thinker?
There exist many theories and ideas about the thinker represented in ‘The Thinker Statue’. The most popular one among this is the theory which states he is actually Dante. But there are some theories which say the thinker is Rodin itself and he is meditating about his composition. Theories stating it as Adam also exist.
Influence of Michelangelo
Influence of Michelangelo can be seen all over the thinker statue. Rodin was inspired to follow the style of Michelangelo in creating heroic nudes. He wanted to have a statue which is poetry, classic and intellect. That is why the ‘The thinker statue’ was made nude. Some historians still believe that the works of a German sculptor named Hugo Rheinhold influenced the statue.
Who Named the Statue?
The thinker statue was named by the foundry workers. Rodin originally named the statue as ‘The Poet’ as a tribute to Dante. But foundry workers named the statue as ‘The thinker’ after noticing its similarity with Michelangelo’s statue of Lorenzo de Medici called “Il Penseroso”. (The Thinker)
Breakout star
The thinker was actually a breakout star of a bigger work, “Gates of Hell.” It was not built as a solo star; it belongs to the first portion of Dante’s epic poem which was a divine comedy. Rodin was planned to capture the first portion of Gates of Hell which is meant to be a part of the new museum showcasing decorative arts. But unfortunately, the new museum was never built and the “Gates of Hell” remained unfinished.
Versions of the Thinker
Rodin had made more than 10 thinker castings all around the world. In addition to this, in 1917 after Rodin’s death, the nation of France got rights to recast the statue. Thus there are more than 20 castings all around the world. Thinker statues at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, Geneva’s Musee d’Art et d’Histoire, Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, Paris’ Musee Rodin, Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art, and Metropolitan Museum in New York are famous among them.
The Thinker Might Have Dressed Up
At one point of construction, Rodin has thought of having his statue dressed up. But later he discarded his thought after understanding that a dreaming naked man, seated on a rock will be more meaningful and classic than a dressed up one.