Maurice Roty, aet. 4 years, 4 months 1886

Editor: Here we have Louis-Oscar Roty's bronze medal, "Maurice Roty, aet. 4 years, 4 months," created in 1886. It's a striking profile portrait. There's a certain gravitas in the child’s expression that seems at odds with his age, at least from our contemporary viewpoint. What draws your attention when you look at this work? Curator: Oh, isn't it lovely? It's a bit like finding a forgotten whisper from the past. First off, the meticulous detail in such a small space—the way the light catches the little one's hair, the precise inscription of his age in both words and Roman numerals! But for me, it’s the intimacy that grabs you. Roty wasn't just sculpting bronze; he was capturing a moment, a breath, a fragment of fleeting childhood. A father’s love made tangible, perhaps? Editor: That's beautifully put. The personal connection really comes through. Do you think the choice of bronze contributes to that feeling? Curator: Absolutely! Bronze has this weight, this sense of permanence that somehow elevates a simple family memento into something enduring, timeless. The fact that it exists now, still, offers a weird comfort across the decades. Do you see that too? Like a secret pact between the artist, his son, and us? Editor: Yes, it does feel like a very personal artifact that we're privileged to view. It's fascinating how a medium like bronze can amplify that sense of legacy. I keep noticing the little details – his hat and wisps of hair, like capturing fleeting moments in childhood. I would never have thought I would like looking at this artwork so much, it brings an immediacy that's timeless. Curator: Precisely! The 'hand-feel' of that hat. So to speak. It reminds us to find significance in the everyday, doesn't it? Beauty often hides in plain sight.