Born in Paris, Jules Dalou studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and found a great source of inspiration in Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s œuvre. A committed socialist, his involvement in the Paris Commune forced him to flee to England in 1871. While in London, Dalou gained recognition as both a sculptor and a teacher at the South Kensington School of Art. After returning to France in 1879, he created some of his most famous works, including the Triumph of the Republic at Place de la Nation. His style, which combined classical elements with naturalism, enabled the artist to imbue his work, and especially his portraits, with human emotion and dignity.
Our plaster sculpture of an Italian Peasant Man exemplifies Dalou’s commitment to depicting the working class with respect and realism. Our subject’s posture and facial features capture the man’s strength and resilience. The portrait evokes the unidealised representations typical of Hellenistic and Roman art, with its portrayal of a wrinkled man being reminiscent of the sculpted portraits of Roman leaders, who favoured vivid duty over idealised beauty in their portraiture (fig. 1).
Our bust was created in the context of Dalou’s Great Peasant Rolling Up His Sleeves (fig. 2), his only full-size plaster sculpture intended for the Monument of Labour, which was never built. For over ten years, he dedicated his free time to this project, visiting workplaces to observe daily life and gathering documents, sketches, and terracotta models. Our Bust of an Italian Peasant belonged to Jules Auguste Biaggi (1878–1965), a Swiss sculptor who studied under Dalou. He exhibited at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts since 1902 and received the Grand Prix in 1946. Known for monuments, statues, and busts, his major works include his two Monument to the Dead, which he designed for Paris’ Lycée Janson de Sailly and for Binic-Etables-sur-Mer. His works are held in collections worldwide. Our bust remained in the collection of Biaggi’s family until it was sold at auction in 2012.
