Gravende mand 1890

Anders Bundgaard made this bronze sculpture of a digging man, sometime before 1937. The figure is caught in a moment of intense labor, his body bent and strained. The choice of bronze is critical here. It's a material with a long history in fine art, capable of capturing minute detail and conveying a sense of permanence. But bronze also has strong associations with industry and labor. Consider the mines where the raw materials are extracted, the foundries where it's cast, and the skilled hands of the artist who shapes it. Bundgaard’s sculpture resonates with a sense of struggle and toil. The rough texture of the bronze emphasizes the physical effort involved in digging. There's a raw, unrefined quality that suggests the harsh realities of working-class life. Thinking about the materials and the making of this sculpture encourages us to consider the social and economic context in which it was created, and prompts us to think about the value of labor, and how it is represented in art.