About this artwork
Ecce Puer (Behold the Boy) is a portrait of Alfred William Mond, produced after a commission from the boy's father, Emil. Legend has it that Rosso experienced great difficulty with the work. Then, one evening, he was struck by the appearance of the boy as he peered through some curtains. Rosso chose to depict that fleeting moment and apparently finished the bust in a single sitting. When it was first exhibited in Paris in 1906, the sculpture was entitled Impression of a Child.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Medardo Rosso (1858 - 1928) Italian
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title:Ecce Puer [Behold the Boy]
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date created:1906
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materials:Plaster, gesso and varnish
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measurements:46.20 x 43.00 x 32.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased with funds from the estate of Miss J.L. Rose 1972
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accession number:GMA 1274
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Medardo Rosso
Medardo Rosso
Born in Turin, Rosso studied briefly in Milan before moving to Paris, where he was based for much of the time from 1889. His work parallels that of his great contemporary, Auguste Rodin, in the impressionist modelling of form and attempts to capture movement and light; in fact, Rosso complained...