The Thinker


The Thinker (Le Penseur), model 1880, cast 1901
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840 - 1917)
Bronze, 28 1/8 x 14 5/16 x 23 7/16 in. (71.5 x 36.4 x 59.5 cm)
Gift of Mrs. John W. Simpson, National Gallery of Art, DC, #NGA 1942.5.12
Photo by Joan Ann Lansberry, ©2007

"As Rodin himself described: "What makes my Thinker think is that he thinks not only with his brain, with his knitted brow, his distended nostrils and compressed lips, but with every muscle of his arms, back, and legs, with his clenched fist and gripping toes."

"Rodin's Thinker exists today in many casts and sizes. More than fifty are known in this size—which is the size of Rodin's original handmade clay model." (From museum website.)