Julien Dillens

Overall the condition of the marble is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt consistent with age. There are small naturally occurring veins visible at the proper right shoulder, along and under the proper left arm. There are a few minor inclusions consistent with material including at the proper left biceps, proper right heel and at the back of the figure. The index finger of the proper left hand has been reattached.
"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."

Julien Dillens' Kneeling Figure was directly inspired by Lorenzo Bartolini's La Fiducia in Dio of 1835. Dillens won the Prix de Rome from the Brussels Academy in 1877 and completed the Kneeling Figure not long after his return from Italy, exhibiting it for the first time in 1885 at the Exposition Universelle in Antwerp in a plaster version. The figure was exhibited many times during and after Dillens' lifetime. Notably it appeared at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, in a marble version. The original marble, in the larger size of 98cm was acquired by the Belgian State from the artist and is in the collection of the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. That version includes roses fallen from the girl's cupped hands. The present figure is a rare marble reduction of the model. The reduction preserves the intensity of the girl's mood, and in the smaller dimensions the marble has a jewel-like quality, both precious and tender.

RELATED LITERATURE
Lennep, p. 163; Engelen & Marx, vol. 1, p. 595; Tommelein, p. 144; Lennep et al., pp. 367-372