Aimé-Jules Dalou French, 1838-1902

This bronze is one of an edition of 10 posthumous casts produced by Hébrard in 1926. The figure is also known as La Frileuse and was modelled between 1890 and 1892.

Dalou's expoloration of the female nude from the early 1870's onwards was a natural progression from his compositions of women in domestic settings, reading, sewing or nursing their children. It is interesting to note that it was a decade before Degas worked on similar themes. Many of these maquettes were worked up into more finished terracottas but no life-time bronze casts exist because Dalou discouraged the production of commercial editions. Had he been more open to casting his models, Dalou's contribution to the development of the nude in late 19th century French art would be much more widely appreciated.

The woman depicted here is the same model who sat for Dalou's Baigneuse, dite avant le bain, an example of which sold in these rooms 9th July 2004, lot 164. Compare also to his Femme surprise.