The Sculptor of 19th-Century France Honored at the Petit Palais

At the Petit Palais, the so-called ‘sculptor of the Republic’ will have an exhibition organized in his honor from April 18 until July 13, 2013. This sculptor is named Jules Dalou, and he made a name for himself in the 1880s. Highly respected by other talented artists such as Auguste Rodin, Dalou was commissioned for many official sculptures. The most famous of his sculptures is the Triomphe de la République, which was commissioned by the city of Paris to be put in the Place de la Nation in 1899.

With its nearby location on Avenue Winston Churchill, the Petit Palais is the perfect spot for guests of one of the Sister Hotels Champs-Elysées to get a dose of culture.

This exhibition has been organized by taking just a small part of the large collection of Dalou that the Petit Plais has. A prolific artist, Dalou left behind a large number of works, the entirety of which his descendants donated to the Petit Palais. Since 1905, this Parisian monument and museum  has housed almost 400 of Dalou’s works, principally made up of plaster and terracotta models. Only a small portion of these works are displayed in the Petit Palais’s permanent collection and another selection has been made in order to create this exhibition.

Born into poverty in Paris and having created art for the city, Dalou has special ties with the capitol of France. Visitors can discover this truly Parisian artist and his sculptures at the Petit Palais this spring and summer.

For those who cannot get enough of Jules Dalou, the Musée Cognacq-Jay will be presenting an exhibition dedicated to the influence of the 18^th century on Dalou and his art. The exhibition will be running around the same time as that of the Petit Palais and will reveal yet another side of this talented sculptor.