Diminutive Bronze Sculpture of a Gleaner with Green Patina - 4¼"

This tiny bronze sculpture depicts a gleaner bent forward to gather the last stalks left in the fields after the harvest. Her lowered head, curved back and outstretched arm capture the familiar gesture of this humble rural task. She wears a long, loosely modelled dress and appears to carry a small bundle or basket at her side. Despite its diminutive scale, the figure has a pleasing sense of movement and expression. The freely worked surface, with its irregularities and visible traces of the sculptor’s hand, lends the bronze an appealingly tactile quality. The soft green patina complements the pastoral subject, adding to the sculpture’s understated charm. An indistinct signature is visible on the base.

Recalling the rural paintings of Jean-François Millet, particularly his celebrated The Gleaners (Les Glaneuses), this little bronze reflects the 19th-century artistic interest in the simplicity and dignity of country life, although its exact date remains uncertain. Its miniature scale gives this familiar subject a particular appeal, inviting a closer look at the figure and its expressive modeling. It would sit beautifully among antique books and collected objects on a library shelf, or serve as a charming paperweight on a desk.