This bust of Eugénie Maria Wynne was one of a number of portraits kept at the Wynne family's house, Garthewin in Denbighshire, North Wales. On the death of her grandson, who inherited the estate from an uncle, the house was sold and the portraits it contained (with the exception of this bust) were lent to the National Library of Wales, Cardiff. This bust was exhibited at the Society of French Artists, London, in 1875, soon after its execution. Its location was unknown until its appearance in London in the 1980s. A painted plaster cast of it was recently acquired by the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. Eugénie's eldest brother, Eyre Crowe (1824-1910), trained as an artist in Paris under Paul Delaroche (1797-1856). Crowe's portrait of her is currently on loan to the National Library of Wales, Cardiff. In 1867 he was appointed one of the 13 Art Referees at the South Kensington Museum, following the departure of J. C. Robinson. Another brother, Sir Joseph Archer Crowe, was the art historian who published prolifically in collaboration with G. B. Cavalcaselle.

Dalou (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.

Gallery location:
Sculpture, Room 21a, The Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries, case FS, shelf WS

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London