Cast from a live model, Man on a Bench reflects Duane Hanson’s sculptural response to Photorealism, a painting style that mimics the precision of photography. After Hanson’s exposure in the 1960s to Pop Art, with its emphasis on the everyday, he created replicas of average Americans performing mundane tasks.

Often depicting moments of boredom, accentuated by static poses, Hanson’s figures portrayed what he called “the empty-headedness, the fatigue, the aging, the frustration” of struggling middle-class Americans. Although he turned what might seem a critical eye upon American lifestyles, Hanson’s work expresses deep compassion for the individuals he portrays.