La Dormeuse 1943

Henri Laurens made this bronze sculpture of a sleeping woman, "La Dormeuse." Laurens used the lost wax casting process for this sculpture, a meticulous, labor-intensive technique with ancient roots. The texture is quite rough and imperfect, which encourages us to see the artist's hand. But this isn't just about aesthetics; it's about the social implications of labor. Each mark and contour reflects the physical effort involved in shaping the material. Through his engagement with the properties of bronze, Laurens challenges traditional art boundaries, elevating craft to the level of fine art. He prompts us to consider the value of skilled work in a world increasingly dominated by industrialized production. The value here is not just about the final product but also the social story embedded within the artwork's materiality and making.