Ernest Trova (1927–2009) was a self-taught American Pop and Surrealist artist from St. Louis. He is best known for his iconic “Falling Man” figure—an abstract, armless human form that he repeated across sculptures, paintings, and prints beginning in the 1960s. Trova treated his work as a single evolving project, reproducing the Falling Man in many formats, including small collectible editions often called “toys” or multiples. These objects reflected his interest in repetition, mass production, and commercial design. Influenced by popular culture and a toy-like aesthetic, Trova blurred the line between fine art and consumer objects. He achieved international recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work is held in major museum collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Saint Louis Art Museum.