Expressive Bronze Statuette of a Whistling Boy After Hertzberg - 15¼"

This expressive bronze statuette, with a warm brown patina, was cast after a model by Norwegian Sculptor Halfdan Hertzberg (1857–1890) and depicts a whistling boy in a relaxed, nonchalant stance, his hands thrust in his pockets and head slightly tilted upward. He wears a flat cap, an open waistcoat over a gathered shirt, loose trousers with rolled cuffs, and sturdy boots : clothing characteristic of late 19th-century fashion for working boys. The modeling is crisp, with finely rendered facial features and lively folds, set on a textured circular base over a stepped plinth. Signed on the base.

This genre figure reflects the late 19th-century taste for Naturalist and Realist subjects that celebrated everyday life rather than heroic themes. Hertzberg, a Norwegian sculptor active in the 1880s, favored expressive yet understated poses that capture character through gesture, as seen here in the pursed lips and easy slouch of the youth. During the Belle Époque, French foundries issued reductions of admired models in a range of patinas.

Display it on a mantel or library console where the silhouette can read cleanly against a pale wall, or anchor it on a desk beside a shaded lamp and a stack of leather-bound books. The mellow patina introduces warmth and a quiet narrative accent to traditional rooms and edited contemporary spaces alike.