Bust of Indian 1902

This bronze bust, called "Bust of Indian," was made by Max Bachman, who was born in 1921. What grabs me is the texture. I imagine Bachman, his hands covered in clay, coaxing this face and form out of the earth. The clay is so detailed, you can see every strand of hair, every feather, every wrinkle etched on his face. I wonder what Bachman was thinking about as he worked. Was he trying to capture a likeness, or was he after something more profound, something about the human spirit? Look at the way the light catches the planes of the face. There’s a deep shadow under his brow, giving him a watchful, solemn expression. It reminds me of Rodin, the way he used light and shadow to create a sense of inner life. It’s like Bachman is in conversation with the great sculptors of the past, wrestling with the same questions of form and feeling. And in that struggle, he made something really beautiful.