The Embroiderer

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.