It has become the iconic symbol of thinking; images of the sculpture in profile are often used to indicate philosophy and other practices of contemplation or introspection.

The Thinker, sculpture of a pensive nude male by French artist Auguste Rodin, one of his most well-known works.

In a real sense, The Thinker is Rodin. Brutishly muscled yet engrossed in thought, coiled in tension yet loose in repose, the sculpture, according to one early twentieth-century critic, …

The pose of this figure owes much to Carpeaux’s Ugolino (1861) and to the seated portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medici carved by Michelangelo (1526-31). While remaining in place on the …

Jun 3, 2025 · Explore the fascinating history of Auguste Rodin's 'The Thinker'—from its origins to its global significance as a symbol of contemplation.

Aug 20, 2024 · 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 …

The Thinker was originally conceived not in heroic isolation, but as part of Rodin's monumental Gates of Hell —a pair of bronze doors intended for a museum of decorative arts in Paris.

Mar 20, 2025 · First exhibited as an individual sculpture in 1888, The Thinker proved to be so popular that it was soon cast again and even enlarged, with many versions present worldwide …

The figure was intended to represent Italian poet Dante Alighieri pondering The Divine Comedy, his epic story of Paradise and Inferno. However, in 1889 Rodin exhibited the sculpture …

Oct 14, 2023 · The Thinker, Le Penseur, is considered by many art historians to have been Auguste Rodin's most famous sculpture, and its success has led to numerous castings of the …