The Thinker

What it is

This bronze sculpture was made by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, first conceived in 1880 as part of a larger work called The Gates of Hell, based on Dante's Divine Comedy. The seated, nude male figure was originally named The Poet and placed above the doorway in that composition, before being enlarged and cast separately. The original monumental bronze is now in the Musée Rodin in Paris.

Why it matters

Some critics believe the figure was meant to represent Dante himself, pondering his poem at the gates of Hell, though others dispute this since the figure is nude while Dante is always shown clothed in his own writing. Whatever its exact identity, the sculpture shows how deeply Dante's poem shaped Rodin's imagination, and it became one of the most famous artworks in the world, symbolizing thought itself.

Look closer

• Why might Rodin have chosen to make the figure nude rather than clothed like Dante in his poem?
• How does the pose create a feeling of