{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O103049"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O103049/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY8429/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY8429/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AY8429","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW1105","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O103049/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O103049","accessionNumber":"A.36-1934","objectType":"Group","titles":[{"title":"Charity","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This is a reduced replica of a marble group carved in 1877 to stand over a drinking fountain in Exchange Avenue at the back of the Royal Exchange in London. The marble which had been destroyed by weathering was replaced by the present inferior copy in bronze in 1897. The composition developed from a group of the Madonna and Child with the infant St. John which Dalou later destroyed.\nThis is one of many variations and versions of this composition, all of which were carried out by Aimé-Jules Dalou in around 1877/8.\n\nDalou (1838-1902) was the son of a glove maker and initially trained in drawing at the Petit École in Paris. There he was encouraged to do sculpture. In 1854 he entered the École des Beaux-Arts, where he trained for four years. He was known for his left-wing political sympathies and was involved in the establishment of the Paris Commune in 1871. After his overthrow he was forced into exile in London, where he lived from 1871 until his return to Paris in 1879. In London he frequently exhibited at the Royal Academy and he was given a teaching appointment at the National Art Training School in South Kensington (later the Royal College of Art), where he had a profound effect on the development of British sculpture.","physicalDescription":"Terracotta figure group depicting 'Charity'. The figure in a simple dress is seated on a rock. In her lap and supported by her left hand is a child who nestles against her and feeds at her breast. She looks downwards, the head is tunred to the left towards another figure of a child who stands at her knee, her right hand supporting its back.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Dalou, Aimé-Jules","id":"A3578"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Terracotta","id":"AAT10669"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Terracotta","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AY8429","2017JW1105"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES395074"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Group","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1877","earliest":"1872-01-01","latest":"1881-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"A.36-1934","id":"O103049"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"77","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by Miss S.M. Forbes in 1934. Transferred to the Bethnal Green Museum in 1970, and returned to the V&A in 1983.","historicalContext":"There seems to be some uncertainty about the various versions of the Charity which were executed about 1878. One at least was carried out for the fountain at the back of the Royal Exchange but was later replaced by a cast in bronze which was less susceptible to the City air. There is a verion in marble in the Tate Gallery and another in terracotta in the Louvre; a cast in bronze by A. H. Hébrard.","briefDescription":"Group, terracotta, depicting 'Charity', by Aimé-Jules Dalou, Anglo-French, about 1877","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. <u>British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.</u>  London: V& A Publications, 2002, pp. 246-7, cat. no. 373"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Caillaux, H., <u>Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902)</u>, Paris, 1935, pp. 38, 129"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Charity","id":"N787"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.36-1934"],"accessionNumberNum":"36","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1934,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-12","recordCreationDate":"2004-09-02","availableToBook":true}}