  We study thermodynamic and structural properties of a Lennard-Jones liquid at
a state very close to the triple point as the radius of a hard sphere solute is
varied. Oscillatory profiles arise for small, molecular sized radii while for
large radii smooth interfaces with a ``drying layer'' of low vapor density near
the solute are seen. We develop a quantitative theory for this process using a
new mean field treatment where the effects of attractive interactions are
described in terms of a self-consistently chosen effective single particle
field. We modify the usual simple molecular field approximation for the
effective field in a very natural way so that exact results (consistent with a
given accurate equation of state for the uniform fluid) arise in the
``hydrostatic limit'' of very slowly varying interfaces. Very good agreement
with the results of computer simulations for a wide range of solute radii are
found.
