Aimé-Jules Dalou

Overall the condition of the marble is very good with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some tobacco staining to the surface. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions, including to the sides of the figure's lower back. There is also some very slight naturally occurring veining to the marble.
"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."

Avant le bain belongs to the series of individual female nudes which Aimé-Jules Dalou modelled during the 1870s. In exile from his own country following his involvement with the Paris Commune, Dalou built a highly successful career in London between 1871 and 1879. Eschewing the grand allegories and idealised forms of the Salon, he presented scenes of intimate domesticity at the Royal Academy. His several variations on the theme of mother and child and his quiet studies of women reading, caught the attention of the critics and won for him important commissions, notably his Monument to the Grandchildren of Queen Victoria at Windsor.

The nude studies were the private counterpart to the Royal Academy exhibits. They were never exhibited and seem to have been made for the artists own interest. They showcase Dalou's marvellous dexterity as he captures the soft and curved essence of the female form. Delicately observed, the nudes are nevertheless focussed on the realism of folds of flesh and moments of everyday life.The present nude clasps her arms across her chest against the cold in the instant before bathing in the stream at her feet.

The nude were not edited in Dalou's lifetime and it was not until after his death in 1902 that the models were transformed into the more permanent materials of bronze and marble, when the rights were purchased by the Hebrard and Susse foundries. Although the model is often seen in bronze, the present marble version is exceedingly rare.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Hunisak, The sculptor Jules Dalou: Studies in his style and imagery, New York, 1977, pp. 119-120, fig. 69; D. Bilbey & M. Trusted, British Sculpture 1470 - 2000, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, pp. 241-251