“The Thinker”: little-known facts about the creation of the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin. Statue of "The Thinker" by Rodin: photo and description

The sculpture “The Thinker” by Rodin is one of the most recognizable in the world, not only among art connoisseurs, but also among people far from it. Brilliant Master He was able to convey the mood and state of his character solely with the help of his pose. Now the sculpture can be seen not only in Paris; numerous copies of it are exhibited in the main museums of the world.

About the author

The French master François Auguste Rene Rodin is one of the founders modern sculpture. He was born in Paris on November 12, 1840. After graduation educational institutionÉcole Gratuite de Dessin he repeatedly tried to enter the School fine arts. In his youth he made his living as a decorator, and most famous works, including the sculpture “The Thinker,” Rodin created already in adulthood.

At the age of 60, the sculptor became famous; he carried out orders from the richest and most famous people of his time, including Bernard Shaw, Georges Clemenceau, chemist Marcelin Berthelot and the President of Argentina. In 1914-1915 he creates a bust of Pope Benedict XV. High earnings allowed Rodin to organize his own workshop and hire young talented sculptors as assistants, including Antoine Bourdelle and Aristide Maillol.

Rodin died at the age of 77 in 1917 from pneumonia at his villa in Meudon, leaving all his works and manuscripts to the state in his will.

Creative method and style

The main motif that can be traced in Rodin's work is the image of the human figure in motion. In an effort to convey it, he viewed sculpture not as a static object, but as a definite center of moving masses. The academic tradition of this type of art dictated certain rules, in particular, that the figure’s head should be positioned either straight or aligned with the line of the supporting leg. One of the first to break this dogma was Auguste Rodin. The Thinker, with its unique composition and technique, is the best proof of its author's innovation.

Rodin did not use the services of professional models. He was hiring ordinary people, and often, to practice a certain movement, they simply walked in front of the sculptor in the nude, and at that time he made sketches from clay and painted them.

Second main feature Rodin's sculpture is its emotionality. All his characters are overwhelmed by feelings (grief, despair, pain, love), and he achieved maximum convincingness in depicting these states. Rodin said that his “Thinker” thinks not only with his brain, as evidenced by frowning eyebrows, compressed lips and flaring nostrils, but also with his whole body, every muscle of the back and legs, arms.

Composition “The Gates of Hell”

At the moment when The Thinker was created, Rodin was still little known. In 1885, he received an order from the government to create gates for state museum in Paris. The master started work only three years later and never finished it. The sculpture was cast after his death. “The Gates of Hell” is the work of his entire life, now occupying a well-deserved place in the museum dedicated to the sculptor.

For us it is interesting because if you pay attention to top part gate (pictured above), you will see the familiar figure of the thinker in the center of the composition. The master’s non-standard and original idea was the result of a true admiration for Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. There are 108 figures in the composition of the gate, most of them are variants of human vices that will inevitably appear before him when the doors to afterlife. Rodin's "The Thinker" statue is essentially an enlarged version of the figure on the gate. The author gave it features of external resemblance to Dante, which is why the sculpture was originally called “The Poet”. However, later she acquired a universal image of a creator. According to Rodin himself, his thinker asks eternal questions: “Who am I?”, “Where did I come from and where am I going?”, “What is my goal?”

Description of the sculpture

Initially, the author created a small sculpture with a height of about 76 cm. It was intended for exhibition in the Gates of Hell museum. Work on it lasted two years (1880-1882), and only in 1902 was a full-length statue created.

Incredible realism is what first of all impresses the viewer of “The Thinker”. Rodin created it life-size in bronze. The sculpture is placed on a stone pedestal and represents a nude male figure. Being a fan of Michelangelo's work, the author completed his work in best traditions style of the famous Italian. The height of the statue is about 181 cm. A naked man sits on a rock, leaning his elbow on his knee. His whole figure reflects deep thoughtfulness.

Where can you see the sculpture?

The Thinker was first presented to the public in 1888 in Copenhagen. Increased in full height Rodin exhibited a copy at the salon in Paris in 1904. Two years later, the bronze sculpture was installed in the Pantheon. As Rodin stated at the opening, “The Thinker” (photo can be seen in the article) is a monument to French workers, which does not quite fit in with the original idea of the work. After the death of the author, the sculpture was moved in 1922 to the museum named after him in the Hotel Biron, where it remains to this day.

Copies of The Thinker

For his contemporaries, the stocky figure of the thinker was the personification of titanic power and strong mental tension. Later, it was she who began to be used as a symbol of philosophy. After its presentation to the general public, the sculpture was liked by everyone who saw it. During the author’s lifetime, with his permission, 10 bronze copies were cast, which were distributed not only throughout France, but throughout Europe. Now there are 20 official copies, which are presented in different parts of the world. Including sculptures in Copenhagen, at the gates of the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, in front of the Department of Philosophy at Columbia University, in the gallery in Melbourne, Geneva, etc. At the request of Rodin himself, a small copy of “The Thinker” was installed on his grave in Meudon.

Model for sculpture

The sculpture “The Thinker” is considered to be the pinnacle of the French sculptor’s creativity. Rodin with brilliant skill conveyed not only the internal torment of the character, but also the beauty of his athletic body. You don’t need to be a great anatomy expert to understand that muscle plasticity and proportions are simply ideal. As a model, Rodin invited the little-known French boxer Jean Bo, who made his living mainly by performing in the red light district of Paris. It was from him that the sculptor created a hero endowed with physical strength. However, Jean Bo, whose photo you see above, posed not only for this work, but also for several others.

K: Sculptures of 1880

Story

By original plan The author’s sculpture was called “The Poet” and was part of the composition “The Gates of Hell” based on the “Divine Comedy”, depicting Dante, the creator of the paintings of hell cast in bronze by Rodin. Over time, Rodin's plan became more complicated, in particular, the image of Dante was replaced by the universal image of the creator. Following traditions classical sculpture Michelangelo, Rodin endowed his hero with physical strength, but performed it in a pointedly allegorical manner, having no real prototypes.

The model for the sculpture (as for many other Rodin sculptures) was a Frenchman named Jean Bo (French. Jean Baud), a muscular boxer who mainly competed in Paris's red light district.

The Thinker was first publicly exhibited in 1888 in Copenhagen. In 1902, a sculpture enlarged to 181 cm was cast in bronze, which Rodin exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1904. In 1906, the bronze "Thinker" was installed in the Pantheon. At the same time, Rodin, who spoke at the opening, said that “The Thinker” is a monument to French workers. In 1922, this bronze was moved to the Rodin Museum at the Hotel Biron.

Copies

There are more than 20 bronze and plaster copies of the statue in different cities, scattered all over the world. In particular, a bronze copy of the sculpture was installed on the sculptor's grave in Meudon, a suburb of Paris. Other copies of The Thinker are installed at the gates of Philadelphia's Rodin Museum and at the gates of Columbia University.

The Gates of Hell Philadelphia3.JPG

“The Thinker” sits above the “Gates of Hell”

Write a review about the article "The Thinker (sculpture)"

Literature

Albert Edward Elsen, Rosalyn Frankel Jamison, Bernard Barryte.. - Oxford University Press, 2003. - P. 174-179. - 662 p. - ISBN 9780195133813.

Excerpt characterizing the Thinker (sculpture)

I couldn’t stand Caraffa’s manner of talking about himself as “we,” but this was the privilege of Popes and kings, and, naturally, no one ever tried to challenge it. I was very upset by such an exaggerated emphasis on one’s importance and exclusivity. But those who had such a privilege were, of course, completely satisfied with this, without causing any negative feelings in them. Not paying attention to Caraffa’s words, the cardinal easily knelt, kissing the “ring of sinners,” and, already rising, looked very intently at me with his bright cornflower blue eyes. They reflected unexpected delight and obvious attention... which Karaffa, naturally, did not like at all.
“You came here to see me, and not to break the hearts of beautiful ladies!” – Dad croaked displeased. - Bon voyage, Morone!
“I must talk to you before I begin to act, Your Holiness,” Morone said with all possible courtesy, without being embarrassed at all. “A mistake on my part could cost us a lot.” Therefore, I ask you to give me a little of your precious time before I leave you.
I was surprised by the shade of prickly irony that sounded in the words “your precious time”... It was almost elusive, but still – it was clearly there! And I immediately decided to take a closer look at the unusual cardinal, marveling at his courage. After all, usually not a single person dared to joke, much less ironize, with Karaffa. What in this case showed that Morone was not at all afraid of him... But what was the reason for such confident behavior - I immediately decided to find out, since I did not miss the slightest opportunity to recognize someone who could someday help I need at least some help in destroying the “Holiness”... But in this case, unfortunately, I was unlucky... Taking the cardinal by the arm and ordering me to wait in the hall, Caraffa took Morone to his chambers, without even allowing me say goodbye to him. And for some reason I was left with a feeling of strange regret, as if I had missed some important, even if very small, chance to receive someone else’s support...
Usually the Pope did not allow me to be in his waiting room when there were people there. But sometimes, for one reason or another, he suddenly “commanded” me to follow him, and to refuse him this, bringing upon myself even greater troubles, was simply unreasonable on my part, and there was no serious reason for it. That’s why I always went, knowing that, as usual, Dad would watch with some incomprehensible interest my reaction to certain invitees. I was completely indifferent to why he needed such “entertainment.” But such “meetings” allowed me to unwind a little, and for this alone it was worth not objecting to his strange invitations.
Having never met again with Cardinal Morone, who interested me, I very soon forgot about him. And now he was sitting on the floor right in front of me, all bloody, but still just as proud, and again made me admire his ability to maintain his dignity, remaining himself in any, even the most unpleasant life circumstances.

For more than a century, viewers have been admiring masterpieces Auguste Rodin. This French sculptor became an innovator in his field. The master's talent was so great that he was even accused of making plaster casts directly from the sitters' faces. Rodin's sculpture is called the crowning achievement of his creation "Thinker". Some little-known facts about its creation will be discussed in this review.

Initially, the sculpture in the form of a seated hunched man was supposed to become central figure in Rodin's work "Gates of Hell". It was planned to be much more modest in size than “The Thinker,” which is located in the Rodin Museum in Paris.

When the decision was made to build a Museum in Paris in 1880 decorative arts, Auguste Rodin was commissioned to create massive bronze doors for him. The sculptor decided to make bas-reliefs on them based on “ Divine Comedy» Dante. However, over 37 years of work, neither the order nor the museum itself were ever fully completed. The Gates of Hell was cast in bronze only after Rodin's death.

Rodin's innovation was that he was able to convey state and mood only with the help of pose. As a model, the sculptor invited the Frenchman Jean Bo, a muscular boxer who performed in the Red Light District. By the way, the man posed for the master several times for other works.

Rodin originally titled his sculpture "The Poet". This name supports the theory that the statue was intended to be a depiction of Dante Alighieri. But, perhaps due to the fact that the tall and thin Dante in the 19th century was in no way associated with muscular sculpture, many saw an allegorical meaning in it. In any case, the name “The Thinker” is associated with the foundries, who named the statue that way because they considered it similar to Michelangelo’s sculpture of the same name.

“The Thinker” was not the only independent sculpture from the “Gates of Hell”. Rodin presented to the public “The Kiss” (1886), “Eve” (1883), “Ugolino” (1882), “Three Shadows” and other works from this series.

After The Thinker gained enormous popularity, Auguste Rodin cast 10 copies of this statue in bronze. And after the death of the sculptor in 1917, the rights to casting were transferred to the people of France, and this figure increased to 20 copies. Today, “The Thinkers” in plaster or bronze are presented in galleries in Melbourne, Geneva, Washington, and Paris.
Rodin's talent is so great that many sculptors are still trying to imitate him, but in their own way. So Italian master creates original figures from metal mesh. Regular

Thinker: A thinker is a person endowed with the ability of deep, philosophical thinking, a philosopher. “The Thinker” sculpture by Auguste Rodin ... Wikipedia

I take a block of marble and cut off everything unnecessary from it. Auguste Rodin, following Michelangelo The limit of achievement of art is outlined only by means of other art. Most wonderful is the sculpture of Michel Angelo on the frescoes of the Last Judgment. Grigory Landau... ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

Auguste Rodin The Thinker, 1880 1882 (French Le Penseur) Bronze. Height: 181 cm Rodin Museum, Paris “The Thinker” (fr... Wikipedia

The request for "sculptor" is redirected here; see also other meanings. Bronze sculpture « Bronze Horseman» ( Saint Petersburg), 1768 1770 ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Philosopher (meanings). The request "Thinker" redirects here; For Rodin's sculpture, see The Thinker (sculpture) ... Wikipedia

The request "Thinker" redirects here. For Rodin's sculpture, see The Thinker (sculpture). Plato and Aristotle Immanuel Kant Philosopher (ancient Greek ... Wikipedia

Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see List. Franz Liszt Ferenc Liszt ... Wikipedia

Franz Liszt Perenz (Franz) Liszt (Hungarian Liszt Ferenc, German Franz Liszt; October 22, 1811, Doborjan (Riding), Austrian Empire July 31, 1886, Bayreuth, Germany) composer, pianist, teacher, conductor, publicist, one of the largest representatives... ...Wikipedia

Books

Spiritual testament, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852) enchanted and continues to enchant millions of readers with the grandeur of his talent. Creative path Gogol is the way to comprehend Russian life...
Spiritual testament, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809–1852) enchanted and continues to enchant millions of readers with the grandeur of his talent. Gogol’s creative path is the path of understanding Russian life...

"The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin
For more than a century, viewers have admired the masterpieces of Auguste Rodin. This French sculptor became an innovator in his field. The master's talent was so great that he was even accused of making plaster casts directly from the sitters' faces. The sculpture “The Thinker” is called the crowning achievement of Rodin’s creation. Some little-known facts about its creation will be discussed in this review.

The Thinker was originally intended to be part of Hell's Gate.
Initially, the sculpture in the form of a seated, hunched man was to become the central figure in Rodin’s work “The Gates of Hell”. It was planned to be much more modest in size than “The Thinker,” which is located in the Rodin Museum in Paris.

“The Gates of Hell”, cast after the sculptor’s death.
When the decision was made to build the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1880, Auguste Rodin was commissioned to create massive bronze doors for it. The sculptor decided to make bas-reliefs on them based on Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. However, over 37 years of work, neither the order nor the museum itself were ever fully completed. The Gates of Hell was cast in bronze only after Rodin's death.

Auguste Rodin is a great French sculptor.
Rodin's innovation was that he was able to convey state and mood only with the help of pose. As a model, the sculptor invited the Frenchman Jean Bo, a muscular boxer who performed in the Red Light District. By the way, the man posed for the master several times for other works.

"The Thinker" Michelangelo. Statue of Lorenzo de' Medici (1526-1531).
Rodin originally titled his sculpture "The Poet". This name supports the theory that the statue was intended to be a depiction of Dante Alighieri. But, perhaps due to the fact that the tall and thin Dante in the 19th century was in no way associated with muscular sculpture, many saw an allegorical meaning in it. In any case, the name “The Thinker” is associated with the foundries, who named the statue that way because they considered it similar to Michelangelo’s sculpture of the same name.

"Three Shadows" by Auguste Rodin.
“The Thinker” was not the only independent sculpture from the “Gates of Hell”. Rodin presented to the public “The Kiss” (1886), “Eve” (1883), “Ugolino” (1882), “Three Shadows” and other works from this series.

"The Thinker" is a statue installed in the Rodin Museum in Paris.
After The Thinker gained enormous popularity, Auguste Rodin cast 10 copies of this statue in bronze. And after the death of the sculptor in 1917, the rights to casting were transferred to the people of France, and this figure increased to 20 copies. Today, “The Thinkers” in plaster or bronze are presented in galleries in Melbourne, Geneva, Washington, and Paris.