Aimé-Jules Dalou

With Thomas Agnew and Sons, Ltd., London, 17 November 1999;

From whom acquired.

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, with his most famous patron being Queen Victoria.

The present bust is believed to have been based on a terracotta sculpture that Dalou created for Queen Victoria entitled Angel with Children, which was in her private chapel at Windsor Castle. 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 memorial, while also conveying the realism that made Dalou's work popular with his contemporaries.

This work was most likely cast in the early 20th century, after Dalou's death, when the A. A. Hébrard foundry obtained the rights to this model from his family.