After Auguste Rodin
(French, 1840-1917)
The Thinker
bronze with verdigris patina
Inscribed A Rodin and numbered 40/50
Height 31 x width 12 x depth 16 inches.

Property from the Michael Hall Collection, Miami Beach, Florida

The Thinker was originally named The Poet and was conceived as part of the 1880 commission, The Gates of Hell, a pair of bronze doors to a planned museum of decorative arts in Paris. The museum was never constructed, and The Gates were not cast during RodinÂ’s lifetime. Rodin continued to rework many of the figures from The Gates of Hell; He renamed The Poet as The Thinker and exhibited the sculpture in 1888, and produced larger bronze version in the early 1900s. Rodin exhibited The Thinker in the Salon of 1904. Following a public petition, the French government purchased the sculpture and installed it outside the Pantheon in 1906 as a gift to the city of Paris. It was moved to the gardens of the Rodin Museum in 1922.

Note: By all accounts, Michael Hall, actor, collector and art dealer, was a memorable character who led a truly remarkable life. Michael delighted in being outrageous - frequently the life of the party, always with an entertaining repertory of anecdotes and jokes. Michael was also a very serious collector with an inquisitive nature, extremely passionate and opinionated concerning his chosen field of Renaissance and Baroque Works of Art, and was always willing to share his vast knowledge. Michael was mentored by Wilhelm Valentiner, a specialist in Italian Renaissance Art and then a consultant to what would become the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Through Valentiner, Hall was introduced to Sir John Pope-Hennessy and Sir Kenneth Clark, and formed friendships with a number of authorities including Rudolf Wittkower, H.W. Janson and Francis Watson. In 1963, Hall moved to New York, and with William Mills, opened a gallery at 6 East 79th Street. His clients grew to include among others, Charles and Jayne Wrightsman, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Art, Boston, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Detroit Institute of Art. In later years, Michael and his husband, Thomas divided time between their Florida, New York and Connecticut residences, but never stopped enjoying and collecting decorative arts. Those who knew Michael would agree his passion for collecting knew no bounds.

Weathered verdigris patina; wear to patina on his arm. Signed A Rodin and numbered 40/50. Extensive scratching to circular marble stand. Diameter of marble stand 18 ¼ inches.
Please contact palmbeachcr@hindmanauctions.com for a complete condition report.