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Artworks
François-Xavier Lalanne France, 1927-2008
Brebis from the Nouveaux Moutons Series, 1998Epoxy stone and patinated bronze94 by 101½ cm (37 by 40 in.)Inscribed 'LALANNE', numbered '187/250', dated '1998' and inscribed with the foundry mark 'Lindowski Fondeur' (on the muzzle)66066© 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, ParisFurther images
Conceived and executed in 1998 in an edition of 250. The present work is number 187 from the edition. François-Xavier Lalanne first created 24 of his iconic sheep sculptures, known...Conceived and executed in 1998 in an edition of 250. The present work is number 187 from the edition.François-Xavier Lalanne first created 24 of his iconic sheep sculptures, known as “Moutons de Laine,” as a playful and bold addition to the 1965 Salon de la Jeune Peinture in Paris. The sheep were initially exhibited under the title Pour Polytheme, a reference to the passage of Homer’s Odyssey in which Ulysses, along with his comrades, hide under the bellies of giant sheep in an effort to escape after blinding the cyclops Polyphemus. When shown in Paris in 1965, Lalanne’s sheep were available for guests to lounge on; the series was immediately acclaimed as a humorous and whimsical blend of Lalanne’s fine art design and decorative style. The current work, Brebis from the Nouveaux Moutons Series (1998) belongs to the Brebis edition of 250 sheep (other iterations from the series include the Belier, the Angeau and the Le Mouton Transhumant). Lalanne’s epoxy stone and bronze sheep have been commissioned and collected by Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé, Valentino, and Peter Marino. The charm of the Lalanne sheep has since designated the series as the artist’s trademark, making the sculptures increasingly coveted in the world of fine art and design collecting.
Provenance
Private CollectionLiterature
D. Marchesseau, Les Lalannes, Paris, 1998 (mentioned p. 37; another example mentioned)
Exhibition Catalogue: New York, Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, 2006 (mentioned pp. 2-3 and 66; other examples mentioned)
D. Abadie, Lalanne(s), Paris, 2008 (mentioned p. 188; another example mentioned)
Exhibition Catalogue: Coral Gables, Florida, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, Les Lalannes at Fairchild, 2010-11 (mentioned pp. 6-7 and 9-11; other examples mentioned)
Exhibition Catalogue: New York, Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, 2012 (another example mentioned)
