Sculpture of the Day: Hush-a-bye, Baby, 1874

Study for "The Rocking Chair"
Dalou, 1874
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Hush a bye baby on the tree top,
When the bough bends the cradle will rock. 


The above nursery rhyme is inscribed into the base of this terracotta sculpture. The piece was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1874. The work of Aimé-Jules Dalou (1838-1902), the figure group is a study for a large marble group which was commissioned by the Duke of Westminster.

The marble group, called “The Rocking Chair,” was finished based on this terracotta study. The final piece was shown in 1875 at the Royal Academy and remains in the collection of the Dukes of Westminster.