The Thinker Bomb
The Thinker is easily Auguste Rodin’s most famous sculpture. It depicts a man sitting with his chin on his fist lost in thought, as the name would suggest. There is an enlarged cast of the original sculpture in Cleveland and it was this reproduction that was attacked one night in 1970.
The Thinker
Some compulsory background on this incredibly famous sculpture. Artist Auguste Rodin created The Thinker in 1904. The sculpture was originally named The Poet (Le Poete) and waspart of a larger commission begun in 1880 for a doorway surround called The Gates of Hell. Rodin based this on The Divine Comedy by Dante and most of the figures in the work represent characters from that poem. The Thinker is at the center of the composition (look above the door in the middle) and is larger than the other figures. People have speculated that it was meant to represent Dante himself at the gates of hell pondering his poem, whereas others have proposed that perhaps it is more of a self-portrait.
This figure from The Gates of Hell was first called The Thinker by foundry workers who noticed the figure’s similarity to Michaelangelo’s sculpture Il Pensieroso (The Thinker). Rodin went on to treat the figure as an independent work at a larger size and made many casts of it. Since the sculpture is designed to be seen from below it is usually displayed on a high pedestal looking down at viewers.
There have been many bronze casts made of The Thinker and 28 can be found around the world in museums and public places. Some newer casts have been produced since Rodin’s death and are not considered part of the original production.
Cleveland
Now, back to Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art has one of these 28 bronze casts and it sits outside the gallery on a high stone pedestal. It is a beloved landmark in the city and people come from all over to see it and marvel at Rodin’s talent. Not only is this statue one of the 28 casts that are part of the original production, but it is also one of 10 that Rodin personally oversaw the creation of. So it is really something special.
That would all change in 1970. At about 1:00 am on March 24 The Cleveland Museum of Art was rocked by a huge explosion. The boom from the blast echoed for miles and six windows of the museum were shattered. More horrible than that, The Thinker had been blown off his pedestal and his legs and feet were completely destroyed. Only jagged pieces of metal where they had once been.
“After the bombing, 1,200 people visited the site of the bombing to express their support or voice dismay at the brutal attack on the Cleveland cultural staple. Damage to the statue was originally assessed at $25,000, more than 10% of the statue’s estimated $200,000 value in 1970. Today, the damage would total over $150,000” (Sanchez, 2017).
When authorities arrived at the scene they discovered that a pipe bomb (with the power of about three sticks of dynamite) had been tucked under The Thinker’s feet and had exploded shortly thereafter. The assailant had also written a message on the pedestal that was only partially legible. It read “off the” and then “ruling class”. The sculpture had been flung off its pedestal and was lying on the ground.
Immediately there was confusion. Who would have done this, and why?? The day following the bombing Executive Director of the Museum, Sherman Lee, said, “I’m not much for speculation. We’ve received no warnings, no notices, no phone calls and we simply don’t have the foggiest idea of who could have done it” (Arehart, 2018). There were no obvious suspects or immediate leads.
Of course, as always, there were some speculations. First, it was reported that “this attack was undertaken by a radical political group, perhaps as a commentary on the continuing military action in Vietnam” (Cleveland Museum of Art). It is true that the Vietnam war was becoming increasingly divisive and protests were happening around the country but no anti-war group claimed responsibility. Another theory was that the attack could have been motivated as an attack on the “growing elitism in the American government” (Cleveland Museum of Art). This is mainly supported by the fact that the message “Off the ruling class” was written on the pedestal, a phrase that was common at that time among those who were anti-elitism, for example the extremist group Weather Underground.
However, this case remains unsolved and no arrests have ever been made.
The Aftermath
In the wake of the explosion, while police were trying to solve the case and track down any possible leads, art historians and conservationists were worried about what to do with the sculpture itself.
The museum considered three options: 1) obtain and display a replacement cast, 2) repair the sculpture by welding on newly-cast sections to replace the areas that were damaged, and 3) mount and display the damaged sculpture. Unfortunately, all three of these options have their issues. With the first, they would be giving up almost an original for a reproduction created long after Rodin’s death. With the second, the explosion caused the sculpture to become distorted so attaching new pieces would be very difficult. And with the third, it is sad and uncomfortable to look at this damaged work.
Ultimately, the museum chose the third option. And, as you can see, viewers now get an up close and personal look at the damage. The goal was to preserve the original sculpture and through this decision, it also has become a symbol of and a witness to the period of political unrest in the United States during the Vietnam War. “No one can pass the shattered green man without asking himself what it tells us about the violent climate of the U.S.A. in 1970,” said then-museum director Sherman Lee. “It is more than just a work of art now” (Hannan, 2018).
Works Cited
Arehart, Mark. “State of the Arts: The Thinker Bombing”. Ideastream Public Media. 2018. https://www.wksu.org/arts-culture/2018-02-02/state-of-the-arts-the-thinker-bombing
Hannan, Sheehan. “1970: An Unknown Assailant Bombs Rodin’s Sculpture”. Cleveland Magazine. 2018. https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/terminal/articles/1970-rodin's-sculpture
The Cleveland Museum of Art. “The Thinker Vandalized”. The Cleveland Museum of Art. https://www.clevelandart.org/research/library/how-to-research/rodins-the-thinker/vandalized
Sanchez, Lisa. “The Death and Life of a Statue: How The Thinker was Reborn in Cleveland”. The Cleveland Public Library. 2017. https://cpl.org/the-death-and-life-of-a-statue-how-the-thinker-was-reborn-in-cleveland/