This lively bust of a little servant wearing the insignia of a cardinal is one of the earliest renderings of an african boy by a european sculptor in bronze. The sensitive detail and expression suggest that this is a likeness of a particular child; nevertheless, the various versions in marble and in bronze-of which this is perhaps the finest-indicate that the bust was meant to represent a general type. Forced servitude was common throughout the world at this time. Many slaves in europe were slavs from eastern europe and russia, but others were from sub-saharan africa. Handsome children like this boy might be pampered as exotic, but their lives remained restricted. However, they often gained their freedom late in life. De cock was one of the leading sculptors working in the southern netherlands (present-day belgium) in the years around 1700. Date: circa 1700. Place of creation: Antwerp, Belgium. Dimensions: 25.2 cm (9.9 in). Medium: bronze. Collection: Walters Art Museum. Jan Claudius de Cock - Bust of an African Boy - Walters 5424
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