Man on a Bench 1996

Duane Hanson, who was active in the late 20th century, created “Man on a Bench,” which is an unsettlingly lifelike sculpture. Hanson’s hyperrealist figures often represented working-class individuals in mundane settings, challenging traditional heroic or idealized sculptures. This sculpture captures a palpable sense of weary resignation, a figure perhaps overlooked or ignored by society. In a culture that often prizes youth and vigor, the image of an older man sitting alone invites reflections on aging, visibility, and the quiet struggles of everyday life. The figure carries a brown paper bag. We wonder what it contains, what it means. Hanson’s work prompts questions about who we choose to see and value. By casting figures like this man, Hanson asks us to confront our own biases and assumptions about the people we encounter in public spaces. It captures the loneliness and isolation experienced across the country.