Ernest Bastin

ERNEST BASTIN (Belgium, 1870-1926).
"The victor". Brussels, early 20th century.
Patinated bronze.
Signed and with foundry stamp.
Foundry Usine Vojave, Brussels.
Measurements: 73 x 16 x 16 cm.

Bronze sculpture made by Ernest Bastin, representing a young victor in triumphal attitude, with the right arm raised and a sword held in the left hand. The figure, of idealized anatomy and great verticality, combines the academic language with a marked heroic expressiveness.

The work stands out for the careful modeling of the torso, the face and the tension of the gesture, as well as for the balanced ascending composition, which reinforces the idea of victory. The dark patina of the bronze accentuates the volume and adds sobriety to the whole.

Ernest Bastin was a professor at the Schaerbeek Academy and trained in sculpture with Léon Mignon, winner of the Prix de Rome. Author of several monuments, he developed a work linked to academic classicism and Belgian public sculpture of his time. The piece was cast at the Usine Vojave in Brussels.