The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

Solidarity

Solidarity

1898
(Belgian, 1866–1941)
Belgium, late 19th century
marble
Overall: 69.9 x 63.6 x 24.2 cm (27 1/2 x 25 1/16 x 9 1/2 in.)
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1968.191
Location: 222 Impressionism & Post-Impressionism

Did You Know?

Minnne’s sculpture explores spiritual life and inner conflict. His work focused on premodern themes and greatly influenced artists in Belgium, France, and Germany.

Description

In 1898 the Belgian Labor Party commissioned from Minne a memorial for the Socialist leader Jean Volders. The sculptor decided that an allegory of brotherhood—consisting of two nude youths standing in a boat, anxiously trying to keep their balance in a storm—would be more appropriate than a traditional portrait of the deceased. The Labor Party disliked the design and refused to have it executed in stone. In anger, Minne destroyed his large plaster model, but a smaller study remained in his studio and was later cast in bronze. This marble version is the only carved example of the composition known to have been completed.
  • 1968
    (H. Schickman Gallery, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1968-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cachin, Françoise, and Geneviève Lacambre. L'Art du XIXe Siècle: 1850-1905. Paris: Citadelles, 1990. Reproduced: p. 519, no. 525
  • Monet to Dalí: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Beijing World Art Museum, China (May 26-August 27, 2006); Mori Art Center (September 16-November 26, 2006); Seoul Art Center, South Korea (December 22, 2006-March 28, 2007); Seoul Olympic Museum of Art, South Korea (April 7-May 20, 2007); Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (June 9-September 16, 2007); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 21, 2007-January 13, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 15-June 1, 2008); Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT (June 22-September 21, 2008); The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI (October 12, 2008-January 18, 2009).
    Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).
    Year in Review: 1968. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 29-March 9, 1969).
  • {{cite web|title=Solidarity|url=false|author=George Minne|year=1898|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1968.191