Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a French sculptor. In 1880, he was awarded the commission to create a portal for the planned Museum of Decorative Arts. Although the museum was never built, Rodin worked for 37 years on this monumental sculptural group, "The Gates of Hell", depicting scenes from Dante's Inferno in high relief.

Many of his best-known sculptures, like "The Thinker" (Le Penseur, representing the poet Dante), "The Three Shades" (Les Trois Ombres), and "The Kiss" (Le Baiser) were designed as figures for this monumental landscape of eternal passion and punishment, and only later presented as works in their own right.

References

In 1984, Miss Piggy and Kermit spoofed "The Kiss" as "The Smooch" in Miss Piggy's Art Masterpiece Calendar.

For the exhibit The Art of the Muppets, promotional posters featured Kermit spoofing Rodin's "The Thinker".

Begining with Episode 3978 of Sesame Street, and insert featuring an animated version of Rodin's "The Thinker" is shown. In the animated segment, the statue thinks about the letter N, eventually getting up to nibble some noodles.

In a "Global Grover" segment, Grover and his burro Roberto return from Mexico with some clay, from which Roberto sculpts Grover in a parody of Rodin's "The Thinker". (EKA: Episode 4081)