The+Thinker

Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin was a famous sculptor in Paris, France. He was born on November 12, 1840 in Paris, France, his full name is Francois Auguste Rene Rodin. He died on November 17, 1917 in Meudon, France he was 77 years old. He had a lot of really good sculptures, and he was really good at what he did.His most famous piece of artwork is the sculpture “The Thinker.” Auguste was known for not rebelling against the past, but he was a progenitor(role model/originates something) of modern art sculpture.

Auguste Rodin also came up with some fantastic quotes, that are really inspiring. One of his famous quotes is: “Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” His most famous artwork is: The Thinker, The Kiss, The Burges of Calais, The Age of Bronze, and many more. One award that Auguste Rodin won for his sculptures is the Legion of Honour award. The reason that Auguste Rodin is so important to our trip, is because he has created a lot of sculptures. Sculptures are apart of art, and we are studying art. Most of his sculptures are in France, which is where he is from, and we are visiting France.

The Thinker is a sculpture created in Paris, France by an artist named Auguste Rodin in 1881. The sculpture(The Thinker) was originally made out of bronze. The Thinker was first made to sit at the top of the entrance way to a sculpture garden representing The Gates Of Hell. “The Thinker” was supposed to symbolize Dante as he composed the poem, “The Divine Comedy”. The Thinker was supposed to be called “the poet” but as The Gates Of Hell became more popular, the sculpture's name was changed to “The Thinker”.

During it's use as a public monument in Paris from 1906 onwards, “The Thinker” became known as a symbol of the socialist movement in France during a time of political and social turmoil. People viewed “The Thinker” as a working class guy and that is why they thought he was important to the socialist movement. Now “The Thinker” is known as a symbol of philosophy and learning. The Thinker shows philosophy and learning because of how he looks like he is concentrating so hard. His arched back and curled hand resting under his chin are signs of study that would have been hard to capture if he were standing up. Additionally, he shows definition in his back and broad shoulders which reveals hard work. That is why “The Thinker” is considered a model of learning. The Thinker is currently displayed at the Musee Rodin Museum after being moved from it's original place. The current owner of the sculpture is Musee Rodin Museum. The original thinker is not very big. It's height in centimeters is 71.50, it's length in centimeters is 58.00, and it's width in centimeters is 40.00. It was redone several times to make it quite big. Because The Thinker was made of bronze and located outside, it has had some weather issues that have changed it's appearance. The Thinker is supposed to look like a person deep in thought.