Aimé Jules Dalou

AIMÉ JULES DALOU (Paris, 1838–1902).
“Le botteleur.”
Bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 10 x 9 x 9 cm.

This sculpture is *Le Botteleur* (also known in Spanish as *La empacadora de heno* or *El atador de gavillas*), a celebrated bronze work created by the renowned French sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou. The piece was conceived around 1890–1894 and is part of his acclaimed series dedicated to the “Little Workers” (Petits métiers or agricultural workers), in which the artist captured with great realism and dignity the harshness of the labor and work in the fields at the end of the 19th century.
Aimé-Jules Dalou was a 19th-century French sculptor renowned for his exceptional sensitivity, technical skill, and unpretentious realism. Born in Paris into a working-class family of Huguenot origin, Dalou was trained at the École des Beaux-Arts under the tutelage of François-Joseph Duret and was deeply influenced by his teacher Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. His style combines expressive richness and formal precision, drawing inspiration from both the classical tradition and direct observation of the contemporary world.
From his earliest exhibitions at the Paris Salon, his political commitment to socialist ideals and his sympathy for the working class shaped his career. His support for the Paris Commune in 1871 led to his exile in England, where he played a key role in the development of modern British sculpture, teaching at art schools and producing a remarkable series of terracotta statuettes and portraits full of humanity.
He returned to France following the amnesty of 1879 and established himself as one of the most important sculptors of his time, creating large-scale public monuments such as *The Triumph of the Republic* at the Place de la Nation, a masterful example of allegorical sculpture and civic commitment. He was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1889 World’s Fair, named a Commander of the Legion of Honor, and served as a co-founder of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where he chaired the sculpture section. His work, both public and private, represents a brilliant synthesis of classicism, naturalism, and social commitment.