Lot Essay
Another cast of this model is in the collection of Musée d'Oray (RF4361) in Paris.
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Aimé Jules Dalou (Paris, 1838-1902)
Dalou was the son of a glovemaker and his finest works demonstrate his skill in craftsmanship and an artistic vision promoting the efficacy of manual labour. Trained initially at the Petite École (1852-4), where he learnt the fundamentals of drawing and modelling, he moved on to the École des Beaux-Arts (1854-7), where he was admitted to the studio of Francisque Duret.
Following the declaration of The Commune in March 1871, Dalou played an active role in Gustave Courbet's Federation of Artists and was consequently exiled to London until the amnesty of 1879. There he became a Professor of sculpture at the School of Fine Art, South Kensington, and undertook a number of high profile commissions including a memorial of Queen Victoria's dead grandchildren for the Royal Chapel at Windsor in 1878.
Upon his return to France he undertook his most important public commission entitled 'The Triumph of The Republic' depicting allegorical figures of Liberty, Justice, Labour and Peace-Abundance for the Place de la Nation (1879-1899).
Between 1888 and 1896, Dalou worked during his spare time without having received any commission on a preliminary version of his 'Monument au travail', which was never seen in public. He used some of his studies for the bas-reliefs of the Monument to Alphand (inaugurated in 1899 on the avenue Foch), which represents the labour and construction activity in Paris.
The many studies for the 'Monument au travail' are drawn partly from scenes observed by Dalou and transcribed in the studio from memory or from his sketchbooks. At this stage, neither the faces nor the clothes or agricultural techniques are very precise. Dalou would probably not have emphasised the picturesque or narrative aspects.
The following group of sculptures are characteristic of his best work, showing individual figures in acts of labour - grounded in la terre natale.
A FRENCH BRONZE FEMALE FIGURE 'RETOUR DES CHAMPS'
CAST BY SUSSE FRERES FROM THE MODEL BY AIMÉ JULES DALOU (1838-1902), LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Details
A FRENCH BRONZE FEMALE FIGURE 'RETOUR DES CHAMPS'
CAST BY SUSSE FRERES FROM THE MODEL BY AIMÉ JULES DALOU (1838-1902), LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The naturalistic base stamped with the Susse foundry stamp, the rim inscribed DALOU Susse Frs Edts Paris and cire perdue, the underside stamped with number 5
10.5 cm. high
CAST BY SUSSE FRERES FROM THE MODEL BY AIMÉ JULES DALOU (1838-1902), LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY
The naturalistic base stamped with the Susse foundry stamp, the rim inscribed DALOU Susse Frs Edts Paris and cire perdue, the underside stamped with number 5
10.5 cm. high
Provenance
Glerum, Amsterdam, 13 June 2001, lot 256.
Brought to you by
Judith Hengreen
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