Sculptor Auguste Rodin Honored With 'Thinker' Google Doodle

Google is celebrating the 172nd birthday of sculptor Auguste Rodin with a homepage doodle that features one of his most famous works, The Thinker.

The statue, which features a man hunched over, deep in thought, makes up the second "O" in the Google logo, which has traded its multi-colored theme for a darker, blue motif.

Rodin grew up in Paris, and after being rejected from the École des Beaux-Arts, started an apprenticeship with sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, according to a biography from the Metropolitan Musuem of Art. He eventually relocated to Brussels with Carrier-Belleuse, where he modeled a number of busts featuring young woman. An 1876 trip to Italy, however, had a deep impact on him - particularly the work of Michelangelo, who "would influence his own sculpture for years to come." He focused on a series of nude male figures in the 1870s, showcasing his first full-scale figure under his name in 1877.

Rodin was ultimately commissioned by the French government to produce a number of works throughout the 1880s and 1890s. By 1912, the Metropolitan Museum opened a gallery featuring only his work.

For more, see the timeline published by the Musee Rodin in Paris. In the U.S., the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia houses more than 140 bronzes, marbles, and plasters from every phase of his career. A Parisian-style garden includes eight works. An iOS and Android app can help you navigate the artwork.

For more of Google's doodles, see the below. Recently, the company has honored , , and , considered by many to be a pioneer in the electronic music space, as well as , zipper pioneer , and even commemorated its own with a birthday cake doodle.