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Jules Dalou

Jules Dalou is an 1883 bronze bust with green and brown patina. It depicts Jules Dalou and was made by his fellow sculptor Auguste Rodin to mark Dalou’s winning the medal of honour in 1882, when he first exhibited at the Paris Salon. Dalou and Rodin had met as students at the Petite École and became friends. Rodin later sent the work to Dalou in 1897, when Dalou returned to France from London, but disagreements over the sculpture and Rodin’s monument to Victor Hugo eventually ended their friendship.

Bronze bust of Jules Dalou with a serious expression on a dark stone base.
Bronze bust of Jules Dalou, shown on a dark stone base against a plain background.
August 2011 © · CC BY 2.0
Bust of Jules Dalou by Auguste Rodin, showing a bearded man with short hair and a gaunt chest.
Auguste Rodin’s bust of Jules Dalou, shown in a plain studio-style photograph.
1911 © · Public domain
Light-toned bust of Jules Dalou with a prominent beard and mustache.
Bust of Jules Dalou by Auguste Rodin, shown against a plain background.
May 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Profile view of Rodin’s bust of Jules Dalou, showing the sculpted head, beard, and upper chest.
Rodin’s bust of Jules Dalou shown in profile, with textured hair and a full beard.
1921 © Lorado Taft · Public domain
Bronze bust of Jules Dalou with a beard and sculpted hair, facing left.
Close-up of Auguste Rodin’s bronze bust of Jules Dalou, shown in profile.
May 2013 © · CC BY 4.0

Identification

TitleJules Dalou
Typebronze bust portrait
SubjectJules Dalou

Creator

ArtistAuguste Rodin

Historical context

Date1883
PurposeCreated to mark Dalou's medal of honour at his 1882 Paris Salon debut
Relationship between artist and sitterRodin and Dalou met as classmates at the Petite École and became friends

Discovery and provenance

Date sent to Dalou1897
Circumstance of sendingRodin sent the work to Dalou when Dalou returned to France from London

History and restoration

Later relationship outcomeRodin and Dalou's friendship later ended over disagreements about the bust and Rodin's monument to Victor Hugo

Physical characteristics

Dimensions52 × 43 × 23.7 cm

Materials

Materialbronze
Patinagreen and brown patina

Appearance

CharacterizationA penetrating study of character, with masculine virility, dignity, and a touch of sadness reflected in the facial features and muscular tension

Other

ScaleIndependent, small-scale work