The University of Louisville is about to get a bit smarter tomorrow.

The Thinker, Louisville’s version of the iconic Auguste Rodin sculpture, will return to campus after a two-and-a-half-month hiatus. President James Ramsey will formally welcome the bronze statue back to the front of Grawemeyer Hall on the Belknap Campus tomorrow, Tuesday, February 21, at 1:45 p.m.

The sculpture decamped to Nashville, Tennessee in early December so conservators could clean the surface and apply a layered, black-over-green patina favored by Rodin.

This particular Thinker is one of about two dozen casts throughout the world. However, this one is notable in that Rodin personally oversaw its construction in 1903, the first large-scale cast from his 1902 original, which is located at the Musée Rodin in Paris. With the exception of conservation efforts, it has been on the UofL campus since 1949.

The event is free and open to the public. In the event of rain on Tuesday, the welcome back ceremony will be Wednesday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Photo: UofL

Contact the author at leecopywriting@gmail.com or www.leecopywriting.com.