Barber Cutting Man's Hair
| Culture | Greek |
|---|---|
| Title | Barber Cutting Man's Hair |
| Date | 470–460 BCE |
| Medium | Terracotta |
| Dimensions | Base: 5 5/16 in. (13.6 cm) Overall: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 79.82 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A bearded man sits on a low stool and a second bearded man stands behind him, cutting his hair. Both are positioned on a flat rectangular base. There are traces of pigment on the man's tunic and the kilt that the barber wears.
Terracotta statuettes were popular in the Greek world. The earliest examples, which often represent divinities, were made as votives (gifts left at temples or shrines). Subjects that depict daily life began to appear during the classical and Hellenistic periods. This charming group captures a seated customer as he tilts his head to better allow the barber to cut his hair. The naturalism of the piece would have been accentuated by colorful paint applied over a white undercoat. Traces of the original color are preserved, even the border on the customer’s tunic. This work was probably made in a Boeotian workshop, since towns in this region, such as Tanagra and Thebes, had well-established traditions of terracotta production.
1979, Indiana University Art Museum purchase from Bank Leu AG, Zurich, Switzerland [1]
ca. 1979, with Bank Leu AG (purchased from the Brummer sale)
1979, The Ernst Brummer Collection Sale, Galerie Koller in Collaboration with Spink & Son, Zurich, Switzerland (October 16, 1979, lot. no. 460) [2]
1964–ca. 1979, Estate of Ernest Brummer, Ella Baché Brummer inherits
1927–1964, Ernest Brummer Gallery, New York, NY [3] (purchase from the Volpi Sale)
1927, Volpi Collection Sale, American Art Galleries, New York, NY (March 31, 1927)
? –1927, Collection of Elia Volpi (1858–1938), Florence, Italy [4]
unknown dates, Collection of Count Grégoire Stroganoff (1829–1910), Rome, Italy [5]
Notes
[1] Bank Leu AG (Ltd) was a Swiss private bank from 1755-2007. In 1949, Leo Mildenberg (1913-2001) was hired to manage the numismatic department within the bank, and, under his guidance, this branch of the bank became a successful auction house. Mildenberg continued as a managing director at Bank Leu until his retirement in 1983; he was also well-known as a scholar and philanthropist.
[2] Ernest Brummer's widow, Ella Baché-Brummer (1900–1999), organized several auctions of the Brummer brothers’ collections and gallery stock after Ernst's death, including the Koller Gallery auction in October 1979.
[3] Brothers Joseph, Imre, and Ernest Brummer (1891–1964), operated galleries in Paris from 1909 to 1940, and in New York from 1914 to 1964. The brothers first attained prominence as prosperous and influential dealers during the interwar years, specializing in ancient and medieval art.
[4] Elia Volpi (1858–1938), Florence, Italy, was a painter, professor, and antiquarian.
[5] Grégoire Stroganoff (1829–1910), Rome, Italy was a Russian nobleman and art collector.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Barber Cutting Man's Hair | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=79.82