Like the tragic heroes of Rodin's Kiss, The Thinker is also one of the most famous sculptures in the history of art. Rodin conceived the work between 1881 and 1882 to adorn the top of the sculptural group "The Gates of Hell". "The Thinker" is currently on display at the Rodin Museum. Rodin left nothing out, this work is full of meaning!
1. The job was called Poet, not Thinker.
This sculpture was originally called "The Poet" because it depicted the writer
Dante Alighieri, author of the famous work "The Divine Comedy". According to the researcher
Francois Blanchetier, the "Poet" represents a tormented body and at the same time a freedom-loving man determined to achieve his freedom through poetry.
2. What was Rodin's inspiration
His first major work, The Gates of Hell, gave rise to The Thinker, but it was not really his source of inspiration. Although this work represents Dante, Rodin was most concerned with the Parthenon sculptures, and he became a great interpreter of them! Rodin was very much inspired by Greek sculpture.
3. thinker - a reflection of modern society
One of the most interesting curiosities of Rodin's "The Thinker" is expressed in his ability to convey what was happening at the time of its creation. Rodin has given us an accurate image of the society of his time. Immersed in thought and filled with tranquility on the outside, explosive in its form, the sculpture has movement and life. By contrasting these two elements, Rodin created a drama typical of the new age.
4. Rodin's thinker wasn't supposed to be so muscular
The Thinker's strong and muscular body confused most of Rodin's contemporaries, who considered this choice inappropriate for depicting the thinking process.
Photo: terraingallery.org
The sculptor himself responded to this criticism: "My idea was to depict man as a symbol of humanity. A rough and industrious man who thinks to display the ability that distinguishes him from animals".
5. Hispanic Thinker
The Thinker sculpture has become so universal that there is a Thinker in Latin America too! Thanks to the leadership of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, a copy of the French work The Thinker was made, arriving directly from Paris in 1907. Although the work was to be placed on the steps of the National Congress, it was not placed there because of the delay in the construction of the building. The piece, cast in bronze from the original mold, is also signed by Rodin and was first exhibited at the 100th anniversary of the May Revolution.
7. Fear of the Thinker
It was important for Rodin to express his fears in the works he created, and The Thinker was no exception. Through some details that seem "unfinished," like the rock on which The Thinker sits, Rodin demonstrates that one has the right to live outside the structure, to not be afraid of the unknown. However, the feet curled up on the edge of the rock in a precarious position, as if about to slip, make it clear that the Thinker is resisting something. The depicted fear of falling into the abyss may symbolize Rodin's own fear of descending into hell.
8. Rodin and Michelangelo
It is believed that Rodin was inspired by the figure of Ugolino, which was created by his teacher
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, to create the pose of The Thinker. However, it is also suggested that during a trip to Italy Rodin was impressed by the works of
Michelangelo and for this reason he decided to copy some of the poses, such as the seated
Lorenzo de Medici.
9. The Roman numeral hidden in Rodin's "The Thinker"
If you stop for a moment and examine the figure of the Thinker in detail, you will realize that details matter. For Rodin, nothing could be frivolous, and in The Thinker he very subtly left a trace of the Divine Comedy. Some theorists argue that the bending of his leg and the bending of his right arm form the Roman numeral V, and according to their interpretations, this refers to Dante's fifth song, when he descends into the second circle and meets
Minos, acting as the infernal judge.
10. The philosophical significance of the Thinker
The position of the body, along with the life that the Thinker's lips, muscles and right hand take on, speak of a man in deep contemplation. The Thinker is the man of all times because it is the man who forges the world and his thought, fears and virtues, explores every corner of his being, constantly in a state of trance.