The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian | The Country House

The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian | The Country House

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 1559. Aimé-Jules Dalou (Paris 1838 - 1902).

Aimé-Jules Dalou (Paris 1838 - 1902)

Bust of a Young Child (Bébé endormi)

No reserve

Auction Closed

February 9, 09:35 PM GMT

Estimate

5,000 - 7,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

signed DALOU and stamped with the A. A. Hébrard foundry mark


bronze, on a marble base


overall height 10 ¼ in.

26 cm

Jan Roelofs Antiquars;

From whom acquired by Aso O. Tavitian at TEFAF Maastricht, 26 March 2013.

In 1871, Aimé-Jules Dalou was one of many French artists who was forced to flee his native country due to his support for the Paris Commune, a radical government that briefly seized control of Paris for three months. During his exile in London, Dalou's work became popular among the English aristocracy, and his most famous patron was Queen Victoria.


The present bust is believed to have been based on a terracotta sculpture that Dalou created in 1877 for the Queen Victoria's private chapel at Windsor Castle entitled Angel with Children, which memorialized her grandchildren who died in infancy. This group featured an angel holding three babies, with two slightly older children at their feet. The current bronze, depicting a sleeping child, captures the same innocence and serenity seen in the Queen's group, while also conveying the realism that made Dalou's work popular with his contemporaries.