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The figure of Wisdom, dressed in a Corinthian helmet and classical robes, strenuously lifts a collapsing Liberty as her feet slide perilously over the edge of the sculpture base. She appears naked and vulnerable, apart from her "Phrygian Cap" which was a potent symbol of French liberty and revolution. Dalou is considered one of the most important French sculptors of the nineteenth century. Here, the sensitive expression and fine moulding show the vitality of his technique. He was a Republican idealist and joined with Gustave Courbet in supporting the failed Commune uprising of 1871. Forced into exile in London as a result, he would also teach and inspire many British sculptors. This cast is a small study for Dalou's monument to the Republican politician Léon Gambetta.