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Solidarity
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In 1898, the Belgian Labor Party commissioned George Minne to make a memorial for Jean Volders, the Socialist movement leader. Rather than making a traditional portrait, Minne represented the socialist ideal of prioritizing cooperation over competition, creating an allegory of brotherhood with two nude men standing in a boat, anxiously trying to keep their balance in a storm. The Labor Party disliked Minne’s design and withdrew the commission. In anger, Minne destroyed his nearly 10-foot-tall plaster model, but the artist’s friends and contemporary critics recognized the power of the sculpture. A smaller study survived and was later cast in bronze. This marble version is the only carved example of the composition known to have been completed
| Artist / Maker | George Minne |
|---|---|
| Date | 1898 |
| Culture / Origin | Belgium, late 19th century |
| Medium | marble |
| Dimensions | Overall: 69.9 x 63.6 x 24.2 cm (27 1/2 x 25 1/16 x 9 1/2 in.) |
| Department | Modern European Painting and Sculpture |
| Type | Sculpture |
About the Artist
BiographyGeorge Minne (1866–1941) — Belgian artist (1866–1941).George Minne worked as sculptor, painter, draftsperson, visual artist and graphic artist and is associated with Belgium. Their documented life spans the years 1866 to 1941, born in Ghent, died in Sint-Martens-Latem. Their work is linked to Symbolism.Disciplinessculptor, painter, draftsperson, visual artist, graphic artistBorn1866, GhentDied1941, Sint-Martens-LatemNationalityBelgiumMovementSymbolismSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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![Torso of a Girl [on the recto side: Woman]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Meisjesfiguur%2C_ten_halve_lijve_recto-_Vrouw_-_Georges_Minne_-_Museum_voor_Schone_Kunsten_Gent_-_1.jpg?width=480)
