Rodin - The Thinker (Created 1880–1904)

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. When we mention Rodin, we immediately think of The Thinker, which has become his symbol. This statue stands on the right side of the garden; it is one of Rodin’s most famous masterpieces. When we visit The Gates of Hell, The Thinker stands between Heaven and Hell. The Thinker himself is a symbol of the creator, like an artist. This work was enlarged from The Gates of Hell in 1901. The following year, it was placed in front of the Panthéon in Paris, and moved to the museum in 1922. Rilke’s commentary on The Thinker is: “He is sitting, lost, and silent in contemplation, and all his power is the power of thinking. His entire body is in his head, and the blood of all his veins fills the whole thought.” It metaphorically represents the artist’s eternal contemplation of human existence itself.