À jamais, mon soldat: Forevermore, my Soldier

Sculpted in ZBrush, rendered in Marmoset Toolbag.

An homage to my favorite classical sculpture, Et toujours! Et jamais! by Pierre Eugène Émile Hébert.
The original sculpture has been interpreted in several ways. One is the familiar theme of Death and the Maiden, but I especially love the other interpretation: that a dead lover is claiming his loved one from the grave. I decided to focus on that particular story and added my own personal flair.

The poppies I added at their feet often symbolize sleep, oblivion, and death.