Aimé-Jules Dalou (French, 1838-1902): A patinated bronze figure of 'Le paysan relevant sa manche' Signed Dalou, 1897/c.1900 The downcast labourer stood with a pick at his feet on naturalistic base, signed DALOU with the foundry mark Susse Frères Editeurs Paris, 43cm high, 14cm wide, 14cm deep Footnotes: Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was among the most significant French sculptors of the late nineteenth century, his standing surpassed by few of his contemporaries, notably Henri Chapu (1833-1891) and Marius Jean Antonin Mercié (1845-1916). A central figure in the artistic life of his time, Dalou helped establish both the Société des Artistes Français and, later, the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. In 1899, he received the highest rank of the Légion d'Honneur, an honour awarded in conjunction with the inauguration of his monumental Triomphe de la République. Dalou commenced his artistic training in 1852 at the Petite École, encouraged by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, under whose influence he developed a lifelong commitment to expressive modelling. Carpeaux's mentorship continued throughout Dalou's career and left a lasting imprint on his sculptural language. Dalou's early professional experience was rooted in decorative sculpture, working for the Parisian goldsmiths Lefèvre and Favière. During this period, he contributed to the architectural decoration of the Hôtel de la Païva, the lavish residence of the courtesan Esther Lachmann, known as La Païva. Dalou's originality lay in the remarkable breadth of his subject matter and the diversity of artistic sources he absorbed. His engagement with the work of the eighteenth-century sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac, studied during his time in London, was especially formative. His output spans friezes, reliefs, maquettes, and bronze figures, encompassing both dynamic allegorical compositions inspired by the Baroque and deeply humane representations of rural labourers. As a teacher, Dalou advocated artistic independence and the rejection of rigid academic norms; his approach is widely credited with shaping a generation of British sculptors later associated with the New Sculpture movement. After completing Le Triomphe de la République, Dalou turned his attention to a proposed monument honouring labour. From 1889 onwards, he produced numerous plaster studies of peasants and farmers, together with a scale model of the full monument, now housed in the Petit Palais (inv. no. PPS78). Peasant Rolling Up His Sleeve is the sole figure from this ambitious project that Dalou completed before his death in 1902. The sculpture was exhibited posthumously at the Salon of that year as a tribute to the artist and was subsequently cast in bronze by the Susse Foundry. The present lot being a reduction of this piece. Literature Amélie Simier, Jules Dalou, the Sculptor of the Republic , exh. cat (Paris: Petit-Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, 2013). reference no. 235. Pierre Cadet, Susse Freres: 150 years of Sculpture (Paris: Susse Freres, 1992), pp. 47-52, fig 84. Henriette Caillaux, Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) (Paris:Librairie Delagrave, 1935), pp.63-73, 146-7 repr. pl. 10. Maurice Dreyfous, Dalou; his Life and Work (Paris, 1903), p 261. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (The Packengers, Unit 9, Abbey Mead Industrial Park, Brooker Road, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1HU, England, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue and/or after-sale information, sent out to all buyers post-sale. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 10 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing