Aimé-Jules Dalou

With Agnews Gallery, London;

Christie's London, 29 October 1992, lot 30.

Dalou often returned to the motif of the Boulonnaise peasant woman, creating sculptures that depicted her at a Palm Sunday service, kneeling in prayer or feeding her child. During his exile in London, these works proved particularly popular among Britons enamored with depictions of rural French life.

The present bust, which follows the aforementioned works in presenting the subject wearing a bonnet and cloak, features the woman gazing downwards with a somewhat plaintive expression. By focusing solely on a bust of the Boulonnais woman, Dalou is able to capture her visage in fine detail – as seen in the circles under her tired eyes – thus leading to an extremely intimate work.