Jean Léon Gérôme (French, 1824-1904)

Exhibited in 1902, Joueuse de boules shows a nude playing a game of Gérôme's invention where balls must be dropped into the open mouths of the masques below, without the player moving her feet. This twists the figure into a sinuous and elegant pose. According to Gerald Ackerman, the Siot-Decauville foundry cast bronze versions in three different sizes.