|
|
The Thinker, by Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) is one of the masterworks of the French artist widely regarded as the premiere sculptor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Look at The Thinker and see the intense mental and spiritual concentration creators go through before starting their physical work.
As Rodin said, "The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire, and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation." He proved how true this was. In 1880 Rodin won a prestigious commission to create The Gates of Hell, a massive sculptured bronze door and archway entrance for the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. This piece was meant to embody all the mental and moral errors that lead to ruin as described in The Divine Comedy by Italian poet Dante Alighieri. In 1885, Rodin announced that The Gates of Hell would be finished in six months... shortly afterward, the plans to build the Museum were scrapped and the lucrative commission evaporated. Rodin spent his own time and money for the next 15 years to complete the plaster casts for The Gates of Hell and displayed the 20 foot high (6.35 meter) archway in 1900. People agreed that it was magnificent... but no buyer could be found to pay Rodin's fee plus the immense cost of casting the gigantic piece in bronze. However, from this colossal failure came works of incredible beauty. His studies for portions of the panels became his masterpieces including, The Thinker, The Three Shades and The Kiss. Rodin died without seeing his masterwork come to fruition; The Gates of Hell wasn't cast in bronze until eight years after his death... and yet Rodin also proved his own words, "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." |