The Thinker Feels Awkward

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin

French Sculptor, Auguste Rodin, is considered to be one of the forefathers of modern sculpture. Inspired by mythology and allegory, he used his talent to sculpt each character in great detail. Though he was very sensitive to the criticism he received because of his sculptures, he continued embracing his style. His very first commission in 1880, became the most important work of his career, for a portal to the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. The work, The Gates of Hell, features scenes from Dante’s Inferno which makes up about 186 figures in its final form. Many of the sculptures in the masterpiece became very famous, such as The Thinker, The Three Shades, and The Kiss.

   The Thinker, originally named The Poet after Dante Alighieri, has become one of the most well-known sculptures in the world. The figure sits melancholy, as he looks upon Hell, and ponders about his fate. In popular culture, I often see some comical representations of the thinker. They range from comic strips, political cartoons, or representations in pop culture. There is one particular comic strip that makes me giggle with joy. It depicts the thinker statue thinking on top of his rock, like always. The statue to the left of the melancholy sculpture makes everything just amazing in life; it is The Kiss sculpture, done by Rodin himself. The cartoonist, Patrick Hardin, has many more comics referencing Rodin’s masterpieces that will make just about any Art History major laugh.

For some pretty funny Rodin Cartoons

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/r/rodin_s_thinker.asp 

Arnason, H. Harvard. History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1968. Print.