Lot Essay
Based on a terracotta bust in the Petit Palais, Paris formerly in the collection of the sculptor’s daughter (PPS00317), the present bronze represents the sculptor’s sister-in-law. The majority of the bronze editions of Dalou’s work were created after the artist’s lifetime, and were initially executed by the Hébrard foundry in the first years of the 20th century. The Hébrard foundry, whose stamp is on the present work, used the lost wax method to cast bronzes after Dalou, and first made editions of the present model from 1902 onwards (see A. Simier, Jules Dalou, le sculpteur de la République, Exhibition catalogue, 18 April – 13 July 2013, Paris, p. 311).