Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838–1902) was a French sculptor celebrated as one of the most prolific and accomplished monument makers of the late nineteenth century. Early in his career, Dalou was forced into exile in England due to his left-wing political views. While in London, he received his first major public commission for a monument at the Royal Exchange, a pivotal moment that helped establish his reputation as a sculptor of large-scale public works.

Following the amnesty of 1879–1880, Dalou returned to Paris, where he devoted himself to creating monuments honoring the greatest men of his era—figures whose ideals, social engagement, or artistic contributions resonated with him personally. Throughout the 1890s, numerous monuments by Dalou were inaugurated across Paris, cementing his status as a leading sculptor of civic memory and commemorative art.

Dalou’s work in terracotta and plaster was preserved and promoted by the founder Adrien A. Hébrard (c. 1865–1937), who was committed to bronze casting and ensuring the longevity of sculptors’ uncast works. Thanks to Hébrard’s intervention, many of Dalou’s models, which might otherwise have remained unknown, were acquired by the Petit Palais shortly after the artist’s death and cast in bronze beginning in 1907. Dalou’s legacy endures as a master of both public monuments and smaller-scale models, blending technical precision, expressive realism, and deep social and artistic engagement.