Perlman Teaching Museum

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Bookmark: https://artcollection.carleton.edu/objects-1/info/1180

The Miner

1890
19th century
25 1/2 in. x 26 in. x 14 in. (64.77 cm x 66.04 cm x 35.56 cm)

Constantin Meunier, Belgian, (1831–1905)

Object Type: Sculpture and Installations

Creation Place: Europe, Belgium

Medium and Support: cast bronze

Credit Line: Carleton College Art Collection, gift of Sandro Mayer, parent class of 1967

Accession Number: 1998.125

The Belgian sculptor Constantin Meunier brought pathos and nobility to the image of the laborer. The Carleton Miner, with its truncated arms and torso, could be any worker struggling for release from oppression. Despite subject matter that suggested "dangerous" socialist sympathies, Meunier was honored by the governments of France and his own country during his lifetime.

This sculpture came to the college with a group of bronze portrait busts by Louis Mayer (1868 - 1969), the donor's father.

Keywords Click a term to view the records with the same keyword

This object has the following keywords:

19th Century, Belgian (region)*, bronze (metal)*, bronzes (objects)*, casting (process)*, casts (sculpture)*, sculpture (visual work)*, three-dimensional*

19th Century
Belgian (region) - Refers to the culture of Belgium, either the modern nation established in 1830 and defined as the Netherlandish provinces watered by the Meuse and Scheldt rivers, or the ancient lands of the Belg√¶ tribes, that stretched from the rivers Marne and Seine to the Rhine.
bronze (metal) - Refers to a broad range of alloys of copper, specifically any non-ferrous alloy of copper, tin, and zinc or other trace metals. Bronze was made before 3,000 BCE -- possibly as early as 10,000 BCE, although its common use in tools and decorative items is dated only in later artifacts. The proportions of copper and tin vary widely, from 70 to 95 percent copper in surviving ancient artifacts. Because of the copper base, bronze may be very malleable and easy to work. By the Middle Ages in Europe, it was recognized that using the metals in certain proportions could yield specific properties. Some modern bronzes contain no tin at all, substituting other metals such as aluminum, manganese, and even zinc. Historically, the term was used interchangeably with "latten." U.S. standard bronze is composed of 90% copper, 7% tin and 3% zinc. Ancient bronze alloys sometimes contained up to 14% tin.
bronzes (objects) - Collectively, the class of sculptures, containers, or other objects executed in bronze, especially artifacts or works considered to be art. When possible, use the material term "bronze (metal)" plus a more specific object name, such as "bronze" + "figurines" or "bronze" + "bowl."
casting (process) - The act or process of making casts or of shaping in a mold; usually refers to pouring liquid material into a mold, as distinguished from pressing a material into a mold, for which prefer "molding."
casts (sculpture) - Sculptural works or reproductions made by casting. In industrial and building trade contexts, prefer "castings."
sculpture (visual work) - Works of art in which images and forms are produced in relief, in intaglio, or in the round. It refers especially to those objects that retain the quality of being tangible objects or groups of objects. It refers particularly to art works created by carving or engraving a hard material, by molding or casting a malleable material, or by assembling parts to create a three-dimensional object. It is typically used to refer to large or medium-sized objects made of stone, wood, bronze, or another metal. Small objects are typically referred to as "carvings." As works become more diffused in space or time, or less tangible, use specific terms, such as "mail art" or "environmental art."
three-dimensional - Having, or appearing to have, the three dimensions of length, width, and height.

Dimensions

overall Dimensions: 25 1/2 x 26 x 14 in. (648 x 660 x 356 mm)