"profils De Mineures" - Constantin Meunier - Patinated Terracotta

Born in Etterbeek in 1831, Constantin Meunier (1831-1905), a Belgian painter and sculptor, is known for his poignant depiction of industrial workers. Influenced by Courbet's social realism, he intensely captures the working conditions of men in heavy industry. Iron puddlers, tasked with transforming pig iron into wrought iron, endured extreme working conditions and died young, victims of the toxins they inhaled daily. In this work, Meunier pays tribute to their strength and tragic heroism in the face of a society marked by social and economic inequalities. Inspired by the medal-bearing profiles of antique portraits, coins and Renaissance medals, he elevates the industrial worker to the dignity of a modern icon.

"Profils de mineures", also titled "L'Industrie", patinated terracotta print imitating bronze.
Signed lower right "C Meunier".
Provenance: Hans Constantin Faußner Collection.

Height: 50 cm