“Doughboy” American Soldier Bust
H. N. Matzke; cast by Roman Bronze Works, New York
Bronze, dated 1917 (copyright 1919) - Height: 13 ½ inches 
 
A bronze bust titled “Doughboy,” depicting an American infantryman wearing the characteristic campaign hat associated with U.S. forces during the First World War. The plinth is centered with a spread-winged eagle and shield, flanked by the date 1917, commemorating the year of the United States’ entry into the conflict.
 
The reverse bears the incised signature “H. N. Matzke 1918,” together with the impressed mark “Copyright 1919.” The sculpture was cast by Roman Bronze Works of New York, one of the leading American art foundries of the early twentieth century, known for producing works by prominent sculptors of the period.
 
Works such as this reflect the widespread commemorative impulse that followed the war, in which the figure of the “Doughboy” became the enduring symbol of the American soldier. Intended for domestic display as well as institutional settings, busts of this type translated national memory and wartime service into sculptural form.
 
Condition: Very fine, retaining a rich brown patina.