For 10 years he’s sat in front of Meyer Library, deep in contemplation. No wonder “The Thinker” needs a vacation. This summer, the most famous sculpture in Stanford’s collection fled the Farm for New York, where he’s mulling the action at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan.
“The Thinker” joins seven other Rodin bronze casts brought in from around the country for the exhibit, which runs through August 31. Several million people are expected to see the pieces, which sit in the center’s Channel Gardens, overlooking the famous ice rink. It being New York, the sculptures are under 24-hour guard and coated for protection against pollution and the elements.
“The Thinker” is one of 187 pieces by Auguste Rodin, the 19th-century French master, in Stanford’s collection. They’re a partial gift from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Gerald Cantor, who died in 1996, sought to make Rodin available to a wide audience. “Going to Rockefeller Center is the fulfillment of Mr. Cantor’s ultimate dream,” says Rachael Blackburn, the executive director of the foundation. “How much more public can you be?”
In all, Rodin made just 18 full-sized casts of “The Thinker.” Stanford’s will be back on its pedestal in time for classes in September.
