June 04, 2008

The Thinker -- ABC Wednesday


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Whoopie !
I'm a brand new member in ABC Wednesday -- and here's my "T"...
That's Rodin's Thinker, one of about 18 bronze castings -- this one, originally owned by Alma Spreckles, wife of the wealthy sugar baron, in the courtyard of San Francisco's Legion of Honor.


Of all the works by Rodin, the most famous one is unquestionably the great Thinker.   It was modelled in 1880-1882 for The Gates of Hell, and exhibited in its original size (H. 71.5 cm) in Copenhagen in 1888.   It was enlarged in 1902 and exhibited in this form at the Salon of 1904 where it aroused strong reactions from the press.   It was on this occasion that Gabriel Mourey, editor of the magazine Les Arts de la vie, launched a subscription for a bronze "offered to the people of Paris" to erase the affront caused by the refusal of the statue of Balzac in 1898.

The Thinker was the first work by Rodin to be erected in a public place.   It was inaugurated in front of the Pantheon on 21 April 1906 during an intense political and social crises which turned this sculpture into a socialist symbol.   In 1922, using as a pretext that the statue created an obstacle during ceremonies, it was transported, with its pedestal, to the garden of the Hôtel Biron which had by then become the Rodin Museum.   Another example was placed over the tomb of Rodin in Meudon.
    source: http://www.musee-rodin.fr/senf2-e.htm


If you're interested I've also got two Thinkers up
on today's edition of   The Daily Duo.


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Your comments are invited and welcome.


6 comments:

Sharon said...

Welcome to ABCW! I have never seen that view of the thinker! :) I love the Tiger as well.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to ABC Wednesday dear Donald! You photographed the Thinker from a very original angle and the result is PERFECT! An INTELLIGENT SHOT, a BEAUTIFUL PHOTO!

Have a wonderful Wednesday my friend,

Tomate Farcie said...

I do, too, really enjoy the angle of this photograph.

There is a Rodin Thinker in the subway in Paris, if you can believe that. I'll have to see if I can dig that picture out of my HD and post it someplace for you.

photowannabe said...

Hey, welcome to ABC Wednesday. Glad you finally came over to this side. Terrific T post. I love the angle. Very artsy. The tiger is awesome too.
Now I'm on my way to your duo.

Anna said...

Fantastic! A creative view of the Thinker you just don't normally see. I love how you framed it in that gorgeous arch.

And that tiger photo - wow!!! Those eyes!! A very powerful photo.

A.

Anonymous said...

very interesting angle. very effective view

 
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