‘Study for Angel’, patinated bronze antique bust by Dalou

Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902) was recognised during his own lifetime as one of the most brilliant sculptors of the Second Empire and Belle Époque France. Born in Paris, Dalou was taught by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, and went on to a prolific career creating both smaller portraits, and significant public monuments such as The Triumph of the Republic (Place de la Nation, Paris). Dalou first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1861, after which he became friends with Auguste Rodin – a highlight of his distinguished career.

Following the Franco-Prussian war, Dalou spent several years in England. In 1878, he was commissioned by Queen Victoria to create a memorial sculpture for her private Royal Chapel at Windsor Castle, that would commemorate her late grandchildren. The original sculpture is now in the Royal Collection Trust, and shows an angel cradling several children. The model for the angel was the son of Dalou’s London assistant, Angelino Cartioni, and Dalou made several smaller studies of his bust in preparation for the monument. This cast is of one such study, which testifies to the highly significant design history of this antique piece.

The patinated bronze depicts a male portrait bust, the figure rendered with impressive vitality and naturalism. With the young man looking up to the sky with a soulful expression, the bust is set atop a waisted griotte marble socle.

The bust is inscribed to the reverse ‘DALOU 1888’. The bronze bears no foundry marks, which indicates that it was cast in England rather than France, which is rare for these models. A similar study of this figurehead can be found in the Chrysler Museum of Art.

Attached to a highly notable commission, this sensitive study has a significantly impressive regal history.