(Etterbeek, 1831 - Ixelles, 1905)
N.A.
Oil on canvas - Van Cutsem bequest - 1904
In this snapshot-like work, Constantin Meunier depicts four miners, their faces blackened with dust and coal, gathered together after their day's work in a bar in the Borinage region. While taking care to portray the harsh living conditions of these "gueules noires" ("black faces") with a concern for veracity, he also presents them as strong and robust, the anonymous heroes of modern life.