Lot Essay
Gérôme modelled his Danseuse à la pomme, also known as the Ancient Dancer, in 1890 and exhibited it at the Salon the following year. According to Ackerman, the original version, shown again at the Cercle de l'Union Artistique in 1893, was 95 cm. high and consisted of a marble body, ivory arms, breasts, neck, hands and feet, applied with bronze jewelley and semi-precious stones. As with the majority of Gérôme's bronzes, the Danseuse was subsequently cast by the Siot-Decauville foundry and was edited in three sizes, the present cast being an example of the middle size.