Titan c. 1910 - 1911

This bronze sculpture, Titan, was created by Abraham Hesselink. You can really feel the weight of the material and the figure's pose, like a snapshot of an overwhelming burden being carried. The whole piece is alive with texture. Look closely at the way Hesselink has worked the surface of the bronze, creating these pitted, almost geological effects. It feels ancient, as if the sculpture has been sitting outside for hundreds of years. The green patina is like the slow brushstrokes of time itself. It’s especially noticeable around the face and hands, where the light catches the raised areas. And that little frog! It’s easy to miss, but it’s right there, on top of the rock. It seems so incongruous, this small, delicate creature supporting this huge, powerful figure. For me, it’s a reminder that art is full of these strange, beautiful contradictions. Think of Rodin, another sculptor who wrestled with the human form, and the tension between realism and something more abstract, more emotional. Art isn’t about answers, it’s about the questions.