The Bricklayer

myminifactory

George Minne occupies a unique position among European Symbolists as sculptor, draftsman, and graphic artist. The medium of sculpture is not immediately apparent within the realm of Symbolism, yet one of its defining characteristics lies in the veiling of tangible reality. By suggesting an alternative world of dreams and reflections, Symbolism hints at unspoken emotions hidden deep within, thereby diverging from traditional sculptural practices that since the Renaissance have consistently depicted human figures with unwavering realism. Through his sculptural works - and also evident in his drawings - Minne takes a radical stance against the idealistic artistic perspectives held by academies and the social realism of 19th Century conventions. He grounds himself, however, within existing themes while simultaneously imparting a universal quality to them. By distilling abstract elements from the narrative aspects of chosen themes, he arrives at an innovative iconography. Minne first presented his work in exhibition form in 1889 at the tri-annual Salon of Ghent, followed by a showing with Les XX in Brussels the following year. From 1890 onwards, he exhibited annually, initially at Les XX and later transitioning to La Libre Esthétique in Brussels. The artist achieved international recognition through his participation in the Wiener Secession in 1900, where he showcased works such as the Kneeling Youth and the Fountain with Kneeling Youths from 1898 - a pinnacle moment within Minne's oeuvre and symbolist sculpture of the fin de siècle. Between 1897-1899, several pieces emerged that bore close ties to the ornamental Art Nouveau style, including the Small Injured Figure from 1898 and the Woman Bathing from 1899. Additionally, the wooden image, The Bricklayer from 1897 - initially intended for a stairwell within a home designed by Horta - was associated with the art-nouveau viewpoint in which sculpture assumed a decorative function within interior design contexts.