Boulonnaise carrying her child by Aimé-Jules Dalou (1897-1902). Signed and dated 1879. Bronze with a dark brown patination/ Height: 14¼ inches (36cm). Signed “DALOU” and Inscribed “E Houdebine Editeurs.” Robert Bowman, London. Photograph by Julian Jans.[Click on images to enlarge them.]
Commentary by Robert Bowman
The present model depicts a woman from the Boulogne region of Northern France. During the 1870s Dalou had delighted English collectors with his sculptures of exotic Boulonnaise women, often shown as nursing mothers, and he continued to explore the motif after his return to France.
Boulonnaise Portant son Enfant was modelled around 1895 and shows a woman swathed in traditional dress, pulling her child in towards her in a loving embrace. The modelling is extremely free and impressionistic, giving the statuette a wonderfully lively and spontaneous quality.
Robert Bowman has most generously given permission to use in the Victorian Web information, images, and text from his catalogues. The copyright on text and images from these catalogues remains, of course, with him. Readers should consult the website of the Robert Bowman Gallery to obtain information about recent exhibitions and to order catalogues. [GPL]
Bibliography
Aimé-Jules Dalou (1897-1902). Online exhibition catalogue. London: Bowman Sculpture, 2014. Web. 29 November 2014.
Last modified 29 November 2014