Discover the Story Behind Rodin’s Famous ‘Thinker’ Statue at the Legion of Honor Museum
Visitors to the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco are greeted by a monumental, 6-foot-tall bronze replica of The Thinker, one of the most iconic masterpieces of French artist Auguste Rodin. Located in the museum’s Court of Honor, the sculpture serves as a captivating centerpiece within an institution established to display a renowned collection of Rodin’s artwork.
The original Thinker was created by Rodin between 1880 and 1881. The contemplative figure represents the Italian poet Dante, regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Middle Ages. Initially, the sculpture was intended to be situated at the center of the tympanum of The Gates of Hell, an ambitious entryway for a proposed Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris that was never realized.
However, The Thinker emerged as a significant piece in its own right, and by 1889, it was presented in Paris at the Exposition Monet-Rodin at the Galerie Georges Petit. A 27-inch bronze cast from 1896, currently stored at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, mirrors the sculpture’s original dimensions. Additional casts are located at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Kunsthalle Bielefeld in Germany, Columbia University in New York, Pushkin Museum in Moscow, and various other prestigious institutions across the globe.
It is estimated that there are approximately 28 to 30 official bronze replicas of The Thinker, with most fabricated by skilled foundries operating under Rodin’s direction. One of the most significant was the Alexis Rudier Foundry, which was accountable for casting numerous versions during Rodin’s era, including the one situated in the courtyard of the Legion of Honor.
San Francisco socialite and philanthropist Alma de Bretteville Spreckels acquired the sculpture with assistance from her friend Loie Fuller in 1924. Fuller was a groundbreaking American dancer engaged in avant-garde circles in Paris and facilitated connections between collectors and artists like Rodin.
A fervent advocate for the arts, Spreckels subsequently amassed an impressive collection of Rodin’s works. The Thinker was among the earliest items she acquired and became part of a group of over 70 sculptures that she later donated to the Legion of Honor, contributing to its reputation as one of the most significant Rodin collections outside France.
Discover more about the remarkable Rodin collection at the Legion of Honor on the museum’s website. The Legion of Honor also features an impressive assembly of historical and contemporary art from around the globe.