Puddlers in Profile
Influenced by the social realism of Courbet, the Belgian painter and sculptor Constantin Meunier (1831–1905) is celebrated for his images of industrial workers. Iron puddlers, charged with converting pig iron to wrought iron, undertook strenuous labor and lived short lives due to their exposure to toxic emissions. A collaboration with the French art potter Adrien Dalpayrat, this double portrait evokes the strength and tragic heroism of these men within the unjust social and economic conditions of the time. By emulating the medallic profiles of important individuals found on the faces of ancient and Renaissance cameos, coins and medals, Meunier elevated the ordinary industrial worker to the status of a modern icon.
Artwork Details
- Title: Puddlers in Profile
- Artist: Composition by Constantin Meunier (Belgian, Etterbeek 1831–1905 Ixelles)
- Maker: Executed by Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat (French, Limoges 1844–1910 Limoges)
- Date: ca. 1900
- Culture: French
- Medium: Stoneware
- Dimensions: confirmed: 21 1/4 × 16 1/8 × 6 1/2 in. (54 × 41 × 16.5 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Gift of Jason Jacques, in honor of Jeffrey Munger, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.351
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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