# Jules Dalou artist context and auction value notes Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/jules-dalou/ Profile generated: 2026-05-03T01:25:20.878Z Quality: high confidence, strong sources ## Artist identity - Birth date: 1838-12-31 - Death date: 1902-04-15 - Nationality: French - Movements: Realism (19th-century French sculpture) - Common media: sculpture (bronze, plaster, terracotta) ## About Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838–1902) was a French sculptor celebrated for his unpretentious realism, expressive figural modeling, and technical accomplishment. Born and active in Paris, Dalou produced portrait busts, narrative relief panels, and large-scale public monuments rooted in mythological, historical, and contemporary genre subjects. He spent much of the 1870s in London, where he taught at the National Art Training Schools and influenced a generation of British sculptors including Harry Bates and Alfred Drury. Following his return to France he received prominent public commissions, among them the Triumph of the Republic at the Place de la Nation in Paris. His work is held by major institutions including the Tate, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and his bronzes appear regularly at international auction. ## Common works and media Dalou is most frequently encountered at auction in bronze — including reductions of monumental groups, portrait busts, and small-scale figurines. Terracotta sketches and plaster maquettes also appear, along with relief plaques depicting mythological or allegorical subjects. Portrait busts of notable contemporaries and expressive figure studies are well represented in both museum and auction records. ## Market and appraisal context Jules Dalou maintains a substantial and liquid secondary market with 313 catalogued auction lots spanning 2002–2026, of which 208 carry recorded prices. The price distribution is wide: the median is €3,000, the interquartile range runs from €950 to €6,500, and the recorded maximum reaches €362,500 — reflecting the gap between small-edition bronze reductions and unique or large-scale plaster maquettes. Market activity is increasing, with 49 priced lots in the most recent 12-month window versus 33 in the prior period. Sales are concentrated in Parisian houses (Crait-Muller, Artcurial, Piasa, Tajan, OXIO) with regular appearances at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Lyon & Turnbull, and Sworders, indicating healthy international demand. Common sale pieces include bronze reductions of monumental groups such as Le Triomphe de la République, portrait busts in bronze and terracotta, figure studies like the Baigneuse, and small-scale genre models of workers and peasants. ## Auction-house-backed market evidence Jules Dalou maintains a substantial and liquid secondary market with 313 catalogued auction lots spanning 2002–2026, of which 208 carry recorded prices. The price distribution is wide: the median is €3,000, the interquartile range runs from €950 to €6,500, and the recorded maximum reaches €362,500 — reflecting the gap between small-edition bronze reductions and unique or large-scale plaster maquettes. Market activity is increasing, with 49 priced lots in the most recent 12-month window versus 33 in the prior period. Sales are concentrated in Parisian houses (Crait-Muller, Artcurial, Piasa, Tajan, OXIO) with regular appearances at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Lyon & Turnbull, and Sworders, indicating healthy international demand. Common sale pieces include bronze reductions of monumental groups such as Le Triomphe de la République, portrait busts in bronze and terracotta, figure studies like the Baigneuse, and small-scale genre models of workers and peasants. ### Appraisal notes An Appraisily appraisal of a Dalou sculpture would cross-reference the artist's auction record — 313 lots with a price range of €40 to €362,500 — against the specific object's medium, dimensions, foundry marks, edition number, patination quality, condition, and documented provenance. Bronze casts bearing foundry stamps such as Susse Frères, Barbedienne, or Hébrard (cire perdue) carry attribution and value significance. The appraiser would select comparable lots from recent sales at houses like Sotheby's, Christie's, Crait-Muller, and Bonhams, filtering by medium, subject, size, and edition type. Photographs of signatures, foundry marks, and surface condition would be essential inputs alongside the lot history. ### Valuation factors - Medium — bronze casts consistently achieve the strongest results; terracotta sketches and plaster maquettes sell at lower but still meaningful levels - Scale and edition — large or unique pieces command premiums; small-edition bronze reductions of monumental groups are common and valued based on foundry, edition number, and condition - Subject — mythological and allegorical figures (e.g., Baigneuse, La Paix), portrait busts, and worker-genre models each attract distinct collector segments - Foundry marks and inscriptions — stamps from Hébrard (cire perdue), Susse Frères, Barbedienne, or other recognized foundries are key attribution and value indicators - Provenance — documented exhibition or collection history strengthens value, especially for works traceable to estate sales or known collections - Condition — quality of surface patination, absence of repairs or restorations, and structural integrity significantly affect price - Market liquidity — with 49 lots sold in the past 12 months and ten or more active auction houses, Dalou sculpture offers strong resale liquidity for collectors ### Collector notes - The Dalou market is broad and liquid: expect to see material regularly at major houses (Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams) and specialist French salerooms (Crait-Muller, Artcurial, Piasa, Tajan). - Small bronze reductions of monumental groups — Le Triomphe de la République figures, Baigneuse models, worker figures — form the most accessible entry point, typically in the €600–€6,000 range. - Higher-value pieces (above €10,000) tend to be larger bronzes with strong provenance, quality patination, or rare subject matter. The recorded ceiling of €362,500 reflects exceptional or museum-quality works. - Attribution diligence matters: Dalou's models were widely cast by multiple foundries over decades. Verify foundry marks, edition stamps, and signature details before purchase. - Works listed as 'circle of' or 'after' Dalou appear at auction and sell at materially lower prices; distinguish these from authenticated casts. - Market activity has increased year-over-year (49 lots in the last 12 months vs. 33 in the prior period), suggesting sustained or growing collector interest. ### Market caveats - The price range of €40 to €362,500 reflects the full spectrum from minor terracotta fragments or studio items to major bronze groups; any appraisal must be based on comparables matched by medium, size, subject, and edition type, not the overall range. - Dalou bronzes were produced by multiple foundries over several decades; attribution should reference foundry marks, edition numbers, and documentation where available. - Some recent lots in the source pack lack published prices (noted as null), which may indicate unsold lots, withdrawn items, or post-sale private negotiations. These lots are excluded from the price distribution but should not be interpreted as evidence of zero value. - Auction results are denominated in multiple currencies (EUR, GBP, USD, AUD); cross-currency comparison requires conversion at the relevant sale-date exchange rate. - The 313-lot count reflects Appraisily's indexed auction-record data and may not capture every sale worldwide; results from smaller or non-indexed salerooms may be underrepresented. ### Market evidence sources - Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/jules-dalou/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0 - Invaluable (Christie's): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-ariane-et-bacchus-24-5-cm-9-5-8-in-271-c-a4081ea901 - Invaluable (Sotheby's): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-paris-1838-1902-1559-c-a14402b845 - Invaluable (Bonhams): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-figure-en-bronze-representant-la-baigneuse-s-essuyant-le-pied-droit-ou-suzannereposant-sur-une-base-entierement-moulee-de-style-naturaliste-signe-daloua-bronze-figure-of-the-bather-wiping-her-r-171-c-bc64f8fb0c - Invaluable (Crait-Muller): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-etude-de-femme-pour-la-gloire-69-c-0eda0da7ff - Invaluable (Artcurial): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-212-c-35a4e90bda - Invaluable (OXIO): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-pour-la-manufacture-nationale-de-sevres-271-c-cd49ff6222 - Invaluable (Cambi Casa d'Aste): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-leda-e-il-cigno-219-c-dad3042ed7 - Invaluable (Leclere - Maison de ventes): https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-aime-jules-dalou-1838-1902-257-c-31743b9a33 ## Appraisily data basis Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum records, library authority files, and scholarly sources with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. This page draws on authority data from the RKD, the Library of Congress, VIAF, and the Tate collection. ## Sources - RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/109318 - Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jules-dalou-973 - Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88633508 - VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/76588662/ - Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q551648 - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dalou