Michelangelo's "David" was completed first. Michelangelo completed the sculpture "David" in the early 16th century, specifically between 1501 and 1504. Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker," initially conceived as part of a larger piece called "The Gates of Hell" around 1880, was first cast in 1902. Thus, Michelangelo's "David" predates Rodin's "The Thinker" by nearly 400 years.