Lot 19
  • 19

Aimé-Jules Dalou

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Aimé-Jules Dalou
  • La Liseuse (A seated woman reading)
  • signed: DALOU, inscribed: Susse Fres Edt Paris. with the Susse pastille and initialled: P
  • bronze, rich dark brown patina

Provenance

Sotheby's London, 2 November 2001, lot 244

Condition

Overall the condition of the bronze is excellent with some minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few minor spots of black pigment to the surface around her legs and to the top of her head. A few original casting pins are faintly visible at the proper left knee.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The seated woman became one of the key themes of Dalou's sculpture during his stay in Britain from 1871 to 1879. He had first explored the idea in his Embroiderer (Brodeuse) which he exhibited in the last year prior to his departure for England at the Salon of 1870. In 1872 he sent a variation on the theme, known as Maternal Joy, to be one of three works to mark his official debut at the Royal Academy in London. It was well received by both the public and the critics. Dalou here represents a mother cradling an infant to her breast, 'modeled with a simple directness of intention, guided by so fine a perception of beauty and life'. One of the other works he exhibited, La Boulonnaise au Rameau, was purchased by Mrs George Howard, a society figure with strong liberal sympathies who was introduced to Dalou by his friend, the sculptor Alphonse Legros. This led to one of Dalou's first commissions, another seated figure, of The Hon. Mrs George Howard. This model pre-dates La Liseuse, which was not exhibited in London but was most certainly modeled there as a development of the Maternal Joy.

The Liseuse is strikingly similar in composition to the Maternal Joy, with the woman seated in the same chair and with the equally skillful modeling of her elegant, flowing robes. With subtle variation to the head and gown, Dalou has focused on a new layout for the arms and inserted a small book in place of the suckling infant. The drapery falls more prominently over the edge of the base and her left leg is raised over the right, in contrast to the Maternal Joy.

RELATED LITERATURE
P. Fusco and H. W. Janson, The Romantics to Rodin. French Nineteenth-Century Sculpture from North American Collections, exh. cat. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 1980, pp. 187-188, no. 86; A. Simier, Jules Dalou, le sculpteur de la République, exh. cat. Petit Palais - Musées des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, Paris, 2013, pp. 368-369, no. 300