The Thinker 2
Cleveland Museum of Art.
At approximately 1:00 am on March 24, 1970, a bomb irreparably damaged the Cleveland Museum's version of Rodin’s The Thinker. The bomb itself had been placed on a pedestal that supported the enlargement and had the power of about three sticks of dynamite.
No one was injured in the subsequent blast, but the statue's base and lower legs were destroyed. The remaining sections of the cast were blown backward to form a 'plume' at the base, and the entire statue was knocked to the ground. It was reported that this attack was undertaken by a radical political group, perhaps as a commentary on the continuing military action in Vietnam or the elitism of the American government.
Regardless, no one was ever arrested or charged with the destruction. However, the incident highlighted several conservation issues related directly to artistic intent. Since the piece was so dramatically damaged, the Museum was unsure how to proceed. One idea was to create an entirely new cast to replace the damaged work. Another idea was to restore the sculpture by recasting elements of Rodin’s original. Finally, however, it was decided that the statue should not be repaired, but placed outside the Museum in its damaged condition
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6
Information
| Section | Subjects: Still life |
| Views | 4,086 |
| Published | |
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Exif
| Camera | NIKON D5100 |
| Lens | AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G |
| Aperture | 8 |
| Exposure time | 1/250 |
| Focus length | 35.0 mm |
| ISO | 110 |
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Silvana W. 30/05/2013 20:41
Great photo documentary with a perspective of great visual impact,Ken***No one in the name of nothing has right to express claim not with violence.. Art is world heritage site, and violence is not implicit in all the persons..This kind gestures aren,t the solution .. ,by the way..Terrible.Well done*** ¡
s. sabine krause 29/05/2013 9:45
i think they went for the best decision they could have made!!! in its damaged state it's not only a powerful reminder of the destructive act itself, it also inspires thinking about the time, place and era it happened in. the moment one looks at "the thinker", even in your image here, he immediately starts having questions: what on earth happened here? so could there possibly be a more nonchalant, creative, educative and effective way of dealing with a sacrilege? i don't think so… it keeps art alive in a contemporary context! a great documentary shot, ken! great food for thought! greetings, sabine.Harold Thompson 29/05/2013 9:41
We have had two memorials vandalized last weekend:-)) Harold
Sue Thompson 29/05/2013 8:34
The thinks to which some people [factions] will stoop is unbelieveable to most of us, but I do think that the museum did right. Leaving the statue as it is makes a far mor poignant statement than any repaired or remade statue ever could, as it shows what some 'people are capable of.......the destruction they can and do cause.A timely reminder to be vigilant.An excellent viewpoint and very good detail in this statue with the pale building behind.
:))
BGW-photo 28/05/2013 17:28
a reminder of a very special kind this is ...strong captured in b/w and put on the left side,
cheers from Bernd, Ken!
Rafa Gómez 28/05/2013 14:51
Espectacular trabajo, la luz en muy buena , tanto como la composición y el encuadre, te felicito, saludos