Ford's figure of Folly was the first in a series of bronzes in which he explored a new realism. The bronze was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1886 and was one of the first models in England to be cast using the lost wax method. Pre-Raphaelite painting and Gilbert's early bronzes probably provided the inspiration for Folly. Although the subject matter was abstract, Ford treated his model with a graceful naturalism, unencumbered by attributes and ornate details. Here, for the first time, Ford treated a poetic idea in realist terms.