DALOU, Jules
(b. 1838, Paris, d. 1902, Paris)

The Embroiderer

1870
Bronze, height 28 cm
Private collection

This composition was the first fully fledged expression of Dalou's interest in simple, modern life and would define the stylistic and thematic direction of his work for a decade. The seated seamstress became the sculptor's first public success when a life-size plaster version was lauded by the critics at the 1870 Salon and was subsequently purchased by the state.

The picture shows a bronze cast of a plaster sketch model made in preparation for the Salon.