Lot 45
  • 45

François-Xavier Lalanne

Estimate
18,000 - 20,000 USD
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Description

  • François-Xavier Lalanne
  • Oiseau D'Argent, A Rocking Chair
  • stamped FXL LALANNE ARTCURIAL, edited by Artcurial 
  • sand-blasted aluminium, leather upholstery, wood
  • 114 by 130 by 100cm.; 45 by 51 1/4 by 39 1/2 in.
  • Executed in the 1990s.

Provenance

Property from the Collection of Jacques Grange, Paris
Sale: Christie's, Paris, A Visual Odyssey Selections from LAC Staged by Jacques Grange, 14 October 2015, lot 135
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2015

Condition

Overall very good condition. Minor erosion throughout, particularly to the top part of the backrest of the chair. Marks of usage to the leather of the seat of the chair. The bottom right side of the rocker at the junction between the tail of the bird and the rocking foot has been gently restored to fix it to the body of the chair as it was loose.Three screws on the right wing are longer and are likely later replacements.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Born in 1927, François-Xavier Lalanne moved to Paris at the age of 18 and spent his formative years in the dynamic environment of early twentieth-century Paris. A friendly neighbour to Constantin Brancusi, he was quickly introduced to the Surrealist avant-garde and their work, which inspired and encouraged his experiments with form. The artist cultivated the idea that art and aesthetic pleasure ought to be a part of everyday life, a notion which encouraged him to marry the fine and decorative arts in the form of furniture and ornamental objects. While working as a guard at the Louvre, Lalanne was fascinated by Egyptian statuary, and in particular the range of animal gods which dominated classical iconography from canopic jars to cartouches. Nature, for Lalanne, contained an infinite variety of forms, and it was in nature’s image that he crafted his bold and luxurious zoomorphic pieces. The artist’s work makes the viewer, or indeed user, aware of the animal perspective and whimsically reintroduces the animal presence into the human sphere. The Oiseau d’Argent rocking chair is a beautiful and eclectic work which exemplifies Lalanne’s fixation with birds and their otherworldly capacity for movement.