Antique Italian bronze bust sculpture on marble plinth

This sculpture takes the form of a bronze bust set on a marble plinth. It depicts an elderly man, most likely an agricultural labourer, who carries a heavy bag on his back. The man is thin after years of hard work, and wears a ragged loose-fitting shirt which is open at his chest. His mouth is open, implying that he is breathing heavily or calling out to someone in the distance.

The sculptor has depicted the labourer in a very truthful, naturalistic way. Every detail has been faithfully rendered, from the man’s stubble on his chin to his sharply defined collarbone and his wrinkled face and hands. In its naturalistic portrayal of everyday working life, this sculpture can be categorised as a work of Realism. Realism flourished in the arts in Europe in the 19^th Century. It rejected the artificial Classical and Romantic styles of art that were enshrined by the academies. Instead, Realism sought to represent ordinary people in everyday situations. 

The sculpture is signed by the artist, 'G Rossi Firenze 1895' and marked with the name of the bronze foundry, ‘FONDERIA CAPPELLINI PISTOIA'.