Claude Lalanne

bronze
270 by 117 by 80cm.
Executed in 2001, this work is unique.

Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. The irregularities to the patinaappear inherent to the artist's working method. There are some scattered spots of oxidation and evidence of wear to the base which is to be expected of a work installed in an outdoor environment. Please note the auction begins at 9:00 am on November 12th.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Claude Lalanne’s Le Lapin de Victoire is not a replica of nature itself, but seems rather to be taken straight from the pages of a fairytale. With its uncanny scale and whimsical flourishes of cabbage leaves, Lalanne’s larger than life rabbit enchants and delights the viewer like an emissary from another, mystical world.

In conjunction with her husband François-Xavier Lalanne, Claude began her curious, surrealist, animal-inspired creations starting in the 1960s, and continues to work today. Les Lalanne, as the duo is called, worked in bronze to replicate the likeness of wild creatures, either as fine art or decorative art in the case of many of their works which can also function as furniture. Ranging from fluffy sheep sculptures to ginko-covered armchairs, monkey lamps to Magritte-inspired apples, Les Lalanne drew inspiration from a variety of sources, most notably their art historical precedents, the Surrealists. Evident throughout their body of work is this whimsical, absurd, uncanny quality pioneered by the Surrealists.

The present work, Le Lapin de Victoire depicts a hare standing tall, holding a staff adorned with cabbage leaves at the top. The rabbit’s stance seems almost human-like, as if he could come to life at any moment, evoking the culturally ubiquitous White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Claude Lalanne intended the work to be situated within a garden, hidden amongst the bushes, with only the tall cabbage-topped staff peering over the surrounding shrubbery so that a passer-by would get a glimpse of the cabbage and follow the marker to ultimately find the hidden statue, much like Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit leads Alice to a new, secret world. This work conjures a feeling of childlike wonder, as if the viewer has just entered into an imaginary world full of mythical, surprising, strange creatures that delight and enchant the eye.