Le blessé by Constantin Meunier (1831-1905)

Le blessé, bronze sculpture by Constantin Meunier, signed C. Meunier and Atelier 59, rue de l'Abbaye.

Constantin Meunier is a major figure in the art of the second half of the 19th century. Trained at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in the studio of sculptor Louis Jehotte, he began his career as a painter, certainly on the advice of his friend Charles de Groux, champion of realist painting in Belgium.
Two excursions to the mining regions of Belgium were to have a profound impact on his art. He was deeply moved by the workers' harsh working conditions. By introducing the figure of workers into the world of fine art, Constantin Meunier established them as icons of modernity, giving them an unprecedented dimension that would inspire many artists in his wake.