Claude Lalanne, the brilliant French artist best known for her sculptural works, has died. She was 94.
Lalanne, who was born in Paris in 1924, attended the École des Beaux-Arts and the École des Arts Décoratifs. In the 1950s, she began collaborating with François-Xavier Lalanne—her partner in work and in life. Their pieces, which were capable of traversing the spheres of both fine art and design, were generally characterized by a handful of key traits. Elements of the natural world—animals, flowers, and, in the case of the latter, their refracted Art Nouveau–style interpretations—often appeared. Bronze casting and other metalworking techniques, also indicative of the Art Nouveau period, were routinely employed. Perhaps most tellingly, the works were usually infused with an infectious sense of joy.
Earlier this year, New York's Kasmin Gallery opened an exhibition dedicated to the work of Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne. The exhibition, simply titled "Les Lalanne," drew further attention to the pair's joyful sculptures—which have long enjoyed a fervent fandom among a set of devoted cadre of collectors, designers, and more. Interestingly, Paul Kasmin was the first gallerist to show the Lalannes' work in the U.S.—30 years prior.
The exhibition was far from the first time that Claude Lalanne reached newfound levels of success in recent years. In 2017, Sotheby's sold one of her works for $2.2 million. The piece in question was Lalanne's Bureau Crocodile. To construct the piece, Lalanne purchased the remains of a crocodile in 1972, in order to help model the bronze cast required.
Jodi Pollack, Sotheby's co-worldwide head of 20th-century design, spoke with AD PRO at the time about Lalanne's versatility and popularity. "They’re pure sculpture, they're magical, they're great fun, and they can go alongside just about anything," she said.
The most well-known works associated with the Lalannes are the Mouton bronze-cast sheep. The sculptures, often attributed to François-Xavier, who passed away in 2008, can be seen in some of the most beautifully designed homes around the world. They are a favorite of interior designers and have garnered striking prices at auction. In 2016, they graced the April cover of AD.
Claude Lalanne's work was not limited to the purview of art and design. In 1969, she created a bronze bust for Yves Saint Laurent, famously modeled by Veruschka. More recently, Lalanne was commissioned by fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri to create jewelry for the spring 2017 Dior couture collection. In many ways, the floral and feather pieces were indicative of her wider oeuvre, which constantly brimmed with an irrepressible sense of optimism.
As Edith Dicconson, who organized the Kasmin Gallery exhibition earlier this year, told AD PRO of the Lalannes' work at the time, "Everything is very playful and whimsical yet serves a purpose—and it's made to be used." Continuing on, she added that "everything is made very, very well, and has stood the test of time."
