The Man with the Bottle in the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent, Belgium

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This Gypsum sculpture, measuring 49.4 cm x 68.9 cm x 29.3 cm dates from 1897 and was sculpted by George Minne, it is on permanent display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent. In The man with the Bottle (Dutch, De man met de Waterzak) Minne shows a wiry, while slender figure who lifts a bottle to pour water. It is one of the few images of Minne which a series of preparatory drawings are known. They are in a sketchbook from 1897-1898, also in the possession of the museum. In the series of studies we see how Minne composition developed a baptism scene. That brings us closer to the deeper meaning of the image. In Christian symbolism, the water is the source of life, the Symbolists of the fin de siècle rather depicts the descent into "the primordial water in us, a descent that leads to self-knowledge. That ambiguity is typical of the art of Minne.   This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.