Igor Mitoraj — Portrait d'Homme (1984)

The Portrait d'Homme (Portrait of a Man) from 1984 is one of the rare moments in Mitoraj's oeuvre when he turned from mythology to direct portraiture. Unlike the Centurione, Persée, or Asclépios — all drawn from the classical tradition — the Portrait d'Homme is a specific, observed human face: intimate, unguarded, and devoid of the bandaging or fragmentation that characterises most of his work.

About the Portrait d'Homme

Mitoraj rarely made straightforward portrait bronzes. When he did, they carried the same gravitas as his classical fragments — but with an added quality of psychological directness. The Portrait d'Homme of 1984 shows a male head with quietly modelled features, in a warm medal (brown-gold) patina that recalls Roman portrait busts of the Imperial period. The signature is incised at the base. Edition of 1000.

The work appeared at Bonhams in June 2023 (Lot 316, Prints and Multiples sale) and has been noted in the Artsy auction database as a 1984 bronze, 14.5 × 7.0 × 5.0 cm, confirming its dimensions and dating. It is a desktop work — quietly powerful, and entirely unlike the more familiar mythological bronzes.

Dimensions & Identification

14.5 × 7.0 × 5.0 cm. Bronze, medal (warm brown-gold) patina. Signed at the base. Edition of 1000. No base is standard — the portrait sits directly on its own cast base.

Market Value

The Portrait d'Homme is a niche piece within Mitoraj's catalogue — less immediately recognisable than the Centurione or the torso series, but desirable to serious collectors for its rarity as a non-mythological subject. Comparable portrait bronzes of this scale and patina type from Mitoraj have sold between €600–€1,800 at auction. I buy privately at competitive prices with no commission deducted.

See also: Centurione series · Prométhée (Artcurial, ed. 8) · All bronzes wanted