GUILLAUME DE GROOT (BELGIAN, 1839-1922)

Guillaume de Groot, a Brussels native, created numerous figural groups for public display in Brussels in the latter half of the 19th century. His allegorical figures can be seen at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, on the Brussels Stock Exchange, and at the Parc du Cinquantenaire. A force in Belgian sculpture during the 19th century, he also rendered portraits for public figures including Leopold II and Charles Rogier as seen in Place de la Liberté. Groot, who produced works in both stone and bronze, here treats a softer subject. Groot’s composition, which was produced in several sizes, is unique as the sitter gently rests on a ledge and leans to the side while emerging from under her drapery.