Concentrating on painting for the greater part of his life, Constantin Meunier (d.1905) turned to sculpture in the last decade of the nineteenth century. A pioneer of socialism in Belgium, his political ideals were constantly reflected in both his paintings and sculptures of workers and peasants, culminating in his best known work, a large bas-relief entitled The Glorification of Labour. A large quantity of his works are preserved in the museums of Belgium and Paris, including his former house in Brussels, now a museum.

The present figure can be recognised as a miner by his type of headwear - a traditional leather cap, as opposed to the round hats of the puddlers and metal-workers who also formed part of Meunier's oeuvre.