Italy, 19th century / c. 1892
The Jewish Boy
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Jewish Boy as sculpture (Italy, 19th century · c. 1892).
Like the Impressionist painters of his time, Rosso sought to capture the fleeting and ephemeral qualities of light. However, he did not work directly from nature. His images were created from memory and emotion.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as wax on plaster and credits Medardo Rosso (Italian, 1859–1928).
The museum's collection notes: Medardo Rosso was a highly experimental sculptor who deliberately cultivated coarse, unrefined surfaces in his work. In this head of a boy—which the artist considered one of his most successful works—he effectively utilized the fluid properties of wax to suggest the fleeting movement of a child’s expression as well as the ephemeral nature of childhood.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Jewish BoyOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.