Who is rodins thinker

Discover the themes related to the work. Date of conception : Dimensions : H. Materials : Bronze. One idea was to create an entirely new cast to replace the damaged work. Another idea was to restore the sculpture by recasting elements of Rodin's original.

Finally, however, it was decided that the statue should not be repaired, but placed outside the museum in its damaged condition. Conservation Issues The museum's large cast of The Thinker has a unique history that highlights some of the ethical and practical issues inherent in the field of conservation.

Cast under Rodin's direct supervision, the large version of The Thinker was purchased from the artist by Clevelander Ralph T. King who donated it to the museum in First displayed in the museum's rotunda, it was soon moved outside, to the museum's south entrance. Once the sculpture was outdoors, its surface began to corrode almost immediately, changing the color and appearance of the metal.

Over the years, hand-rubbing, wax, and commercial oil preparations were used to protect it. Then, in , the sculpture was severely damaged by a dynamite explosion. According to the Cleveland Police Department, this act of vandalism was committed by a cell of the politically radical Weather Underground that was operating in Cleveland at the time.

In the aftermath of the bombing, the museum considered three options: 1 obtain and display a replacement cast; 2 repair the sculpture by welding on newly cast sections to replace the areas that were damaged; 3 mount and display the damaged sculpture. All three options were problematic in some way. With the first, a new cast of the complete sculpture would be removed historically from the original, which was so closely connected with the artist.

A recast would in essence be a reproduction. With the second, distortions caused by the dynamite blast would have made it difficult to align the replacement sections with those original sculpture. The third option was chosen largely because it preserved what was left of Rodin's original work and because the damaged sculpture would bear vivid witness to a period of political unrest in the United States during the Vietnam War.

Like the museum's other outdoor sculptures, The Thinker now receives routine maintenance twice a year. It is washed and rewaxed each spring and fall.

An interesting comparison can be made with the musem's small version of The Thinker. Also cast in the late 19th century under Rodin's direct supervision, this work has remained indoors, in the controlled environment of the museum, and is in excllent condition. The original surface and artistic intention have been preserved.

Aside from the Cleveland Museum of Art's large cast of The Thinker , there are several other sculptures in the museum's collection that directly relate to Rodin's plans for the Gates of Hell. Rodin must have been aware of the craze for bodybuilding when he decided to enlarge and market the solitary figure of The Thinker, thereby taking advantage of the pre-existing associations between sculpture and bodybuilding.

Unsurprisingly, a bodybuilder in the pose of The Thinker eventually appeared on the pages of La Culture physique. Sexuality was integral to the obsession with the healthy male body in France.

The rugged facial features of The Thinker also linked this figure to the working class in the eyes of contemporaries. The modern public understood sexuality to be a source for male artistic creativity. This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Title: The Thinker. Founder: Cast by Alexis Rudier French. Date: modeled ca. Culture: French. Medium: Bronze. Dimensions: Overall wt.