Constantin Meunier

Antwerp (Bust of a Stevedore) symbolises the ‘social sculpture’ that Constantin Meunier developed in his work. Influenced by realism (he was notably one of the founders of the Société Libre des Beaux-Arts in 1868), he developed a particular interest in social themes. Fascinated by the working-class world, Meunier was one of its most faithful representatives: all their gestures and hardships inspired him. ‘Débardeur’ is what dockworkers were called in the 19th century. They were responsible for loading and unloading ships. Here, this bust of a docker from the port of Antwerp has marked facial features, which one imagines to have been hardened by labour. This sculpture conveys the nobility of labour. Only the headdress allows the protagonist to be identified, and this simplicity reinforces the power of the work.

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