When was The Thinker first exhibited on its own?

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Portrait of Auguste Rodin standing indoors, wearing a buttoned, two-toned coat with a full beard and tousled hair, looking slightly to the side. — Auguste Rodin French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Auguste Rodin first exhibited The Thinker on its own in 1888.1

Originally conceived as a figure titled The Poet for the monumental project The Gates of Hell, the sculpture was intended to represent Dante Alighieri observing the scenes from his Inferno. After the museum commission for which The Gates were intended was never constructed, Rodin began exhibiting various figures from the project independently. He eventually renamed the work The Thinker and showcased it as a standalone piece before later creating the famous monumental bronze versions in the early 1900s.1