One of Auguste Rodin’s most notable work, The Thinker, stood out to me as I first walked into the Robin exhibit. This bronze sculpture shows a male figure resting his head on his right hand and appears to be lost in a deep thought.

The title, The Thinker, reminded me of John Locke and the Enlightenment movement. The philosophical movement emphasized on reasoning, which allowed for explanation of many ideas in subjects such as science, law, and politics. This made me wonder if Rodin was in any way influenced by Locke as Rodin’s sculpture showed the core values (thinking deeply and critically) during the Enlightenment movement.  And if he was, what is the figure in the sculpture thinking about? That was the thought that came from the male figure’s body language.

Similarly, the body language of one of the figure in Robert Mapplethorpe’s “Male Nudes”, showed an isolated and closed feeling. The male figure is curled up and with his head faced down. This conveys a sense of loneliness and that the figure is avoiding others, trapped inside his own world. However, in his world, he could also be in deep thinking and contemplating over his life, with a bunch of overwhelming emotions that may be difficult to describe.

 

 (This is one of the very few photos I’ve taken in the Michelangelo exhibit that I have found interesting, mainly because the place felt like a church. While admiring the piece, the only question that I had was about the names under each figure who are sitting down. “Who are they and why are they important?”)