Louis-Ernest Barrias was born to a family of artists and began his career as a painter. In 1865 he won the Prix de Rome to study sculpture. The present sculpture " La Dance" is a rare bronze model. Barrias's "Nature Unveiling Herself Before Science" (his most famous sculpture of 1899) was edited in many sizes and compositions - bronze, bronze and ivory and bronze and marble with a multitude of polychrome variations. The Barrias bronze editions were cast by the Susse Freres foundry.