The sculpture known as The Thinker by Auguste Rodin is familiar to everyone. Even if you've never been to France and never studied art, you've seen memes of the statue, often on a toilet. But what inspired this muscle-bound intellectual and his contemplation? Who was he? And what's he thinking about, anyway?
Rodin had a hard road to artistic acclaim. First his sculptures were not good enough, then they were too good and were thought to be a fraud. After finally securing his reputation in the art world, Rodin took on a project that consumed him, and even though it was ultimately for naught, it inspired The Thinker. It began as just one of many sculptures for the project, but became the dominant element. And although Rodin used professional live models, it is supposed to be a particular person that you know of. This TED-Ed video explain how The Thinker came about.
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