Dalou in England: Portraits of Womanhood, 1871-1879 11 JUNE — 23 AUGUST, 2009 In 1871 French sculptor Jules Dalou (1838-1902) fled Paris after being exiled for his left-wing connections. Arriving in London with his family, he ironically found his niche among the English aristocracy. During his nine years in exile, the artist concentrated on domestic themes not frequently associated with politically progressive art. Dalou in England: Portraits of Womanhood, 1871-1879 will focus on five works drawn his series of intimate statuettes on the theme of modern womanhood. After arriving in London with his family, Dalou worked within a small circle of French-speaking artists and patrons. His experience of exile was one of enclosure within the domestic sphere. Dalou found a great champion and patron in the Countess of Carlisle at Castle Howard. His small bronze portrait of her will be among the works on view. The statuettes that Dalou made in the 1870s encompassed women from the working classes, the bourgeoisie, and the aristocracy, all rendered in a table-top size that encourages comparison. These exquisite pieces demonstrate the style of gentle realism that Dalou developed in order to express his ideas about femininity, class, and the condition of exile. Dalou's eye for detail, from peasant dress to the latest fashions, as well as for accessories such as baskets or chairs, demonstrate his acute social observations. Through his images of women, Dalou revealed and questioned the stratified nature of modern society and its strict demarcations between the classes. Works by Dalou, a contemporary of Rodin, still occupy key sites in Paris, including the Place de Nation and the cemetery of Pere Lachaise. Dalou in England will reveal a fascinating period in the artist's career, when his focus turned to intimate portrait statuettes and genre figures, before his subsequent career as a creator of large-scale national monuments. In addition to working in his studio, Dalou taught at the National Art Training School in South Kensington and is credited with influencing a new generation of sculptors in Britain. This exhibition has been organized by the Yale Center for British Art in association with the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds.