Rodan's The Thinker

While trying to think of how to begin this article, I all of a sudden noticed myself sitting in a pretty common pose. I strike this pose every time I brainstorm a writing idea or try to remember a phone number. I sit like The Thinker, Auguste Rodin's bronze and marble masterpiece, with my hand propped under my chin, elbow on knee.

The Thinker was originally supposed to be part of another work of art: a monumental door known as The Gates of Hell. It was based on The Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri. Commissioned by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris and originally entitled The Poet, The Thinker was supposed to represent Dante at the top of the door, reflecting on the scene below. Each of the figures on The Gates of Hell were supposed to represent one of the main characters in The Divine Comedy. Rodin's sculpture The Kiss was also originally designed for The Gates of Hell.

The Museum of Decorative Arts was never built, so The Gates of Hell wasn't put on display for some time. Rodin continued work on The Gates of Hell on and off throughout the remainder of his life on the ground floor of the Hotel Biron. Originally The Thinker was simply a small plaster statue on a large door. However, in 1902 a larger bronze version of The Thinker was cast. It was first put in front of the Pantheon in 1906, but later was moved into a museum dedicated to Rodin's work in 1922. Ironically, the museum is located in the Hotel Biron, the site where Rodin accomplished much of his work on The Gates of Hell.

The Thinker depicts a naked man in somber thought, seeming to be battling over an internal struggle. It has a contemplative feel to it, as the man rests his head on his hand. The statue is sometimes said to be representative of philosophy.

Whether posed with a thought bubble above his head reading I got nothing , or sitting on a toilet, Rodin's The Thinker is the subject of many satirical parodies. However, it is also an icon of intellect. All things famous are prone to both criticism and praise, and The Thinker is hardly an exception. It is always immediately recognizable. No matter how it is perceived in the modern world, it is evident that The Thinker is a brilliant work of art.