François-Xavier Lalanne

from an edition of two

Paul Facchetti Gallery, Zurich
Private Collection, Geneva, 1972
Galerie Hopkins-Custot, Paris
Private Collection, Paris, 2005
Sotheby's Paris, May 27, 2009, lot 9
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Les Tirages restreints de François-Xavier et Claude Lalanne, Galerie Alexandre Iolas, Paris, 1970
9ème Pavillon des Antiquaires, Galerie Hopkins-Custot, Paris, April 2005
Les Lalanne, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, March 17-July 4, 2010

"Pas en cage," Connaissance des Arts, no. 225, November 1970, p. 130 (for the present lot illustrated)
France Bertin, "Un bestiaire pour l'environnement," Votre Maison, no. 135, August-September 1970, p. 48 (for the present lot illustrated)
John Russell, Les Lalannes, Paris, 1975, p. 66 (for a related Sauterelle executed in steel and polished brass, 1967)
Daniel Marchesseau, Les Lalanne, Paris, 1998, p. 71 (for a related form titled Sauterelle I executed in painted brass, 1967)
Alan Hamilton, "A Queen's ransom from across the globe," The Times, April 27, 2002 (for the example from this edition in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II)
Pauline Simons, "Un Pavillon dans l'air du temps," Le Figaro, April 2, 2005, p. 98 (for the present lot illustrated)
Daniel Abadie, Lalanne(s), Paris, 2008, pp. 92 (for the above mentioned related Sauterelle I and a related design drawing) and 93 (for the present lot illustrated)
Les Lalanne, exh. cat., Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2010, p. 73 (for the present lot illustrated)

Overall very good condition. This dynamic sculptural work functions as a bar: the grasshopper head opens to a compartment where glassware or bottles can be stored; the body opens to serve as a cooler; and the wings extend to provide a surface to place glasses and stemware. The brass surfaces present with scattered minor surface scratches, abrasions, and discolorations throughout consistent with age and use, as well as some shallow dents which are likely inherent in the making. The brass with some scattered isolated areas of pitting, concentrated mostly to the interior compartments, with some traces of oxidation and minor surface soiling concentrated mainly to the recessed areas along the welds, all consistent with age and common for this material. Due to the mobility of the wings, these elements present with slightly more surface scratches and abrasions concentrated where the brass comes in contact with the steel legs and support bars. The brass with a small concentrated area of corrosion around the leg socket of the proper right back leg. The steel legs are in very good condition with some minor surface scratches, abrasions, and minor traces of surface soiling and oxidation to the recessed contours. The Sevres porcelain is clean and bright, presenting with only minor, light traces of discoloration consistent with age and gentle handling, and occurring where the porcelain makes contact with the steel elements. The porcelain face of the grasshopper with some discoloration around the proper right eye, which is likely traces of old adhesive inherent in the production process. A rare masterwork by Lalanne, demonstrating the artist’s great technical ingenuity and whimsical imagination.
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.

Over the course of his multi-decade career, Francois-Xavier Lalanne inspired and delighted viewers with his sculptural interpretations of the natural world. In his extensive and diverse body of work, much of which he co-created with his wife, Claude, Lalanne experimented with imagery, aesthetics, material, and functionality to ignite curiosity and endear his whimsical sculptures. Flora and fauna become cleverly stylized. Animals cast in metal are depicted with soft, expressive features. The scale of his subjects is unexpectedly expanded or reduced. Unlikely plant, animal, and human forms coalesce into charming creatures drawn from fantasy. Never quite what they seem, Lalanne’s creations are brought to life through the artist’s incorporation of an imaginative element of surprise.

In some of his most exciting work, Lalanne exercised his incredible technical ingenuity to surprise us with transformation and utility. Lalanne rejected that art and decoration are mutually exclusive—both he and Claude preferred their works to be enjoyed in the intimacy of the home or to exist freely in a public garden, not beyond the viewer’s reach in a museum or gallery. Governed by this philosophy, the thoughtfully conceived functionality of Lalanne’s sculptures both bewilders and domesticates what might otherwise be a fantastic or supernatural form. With a simple movement, a bird spreads its wings and transforms into a table. A wooly sheep provides comfortable seating. A gorilla pulls open its chest to expose a safe.  Nature is transformed into sculpture and sculpture physically transforms into utility.

The present lot, Lalanne’s exquisite Sauterelle, is at one moment a wild, oversized sculpture of a grasshopper, and the next instant its body opens to function as a bar. Executed in 1970, Sauterelle made its public debut in the same year at an exhibition dedicated to the work of Les Lalannes at Galerie Alexandre Iolas in Paris. It is one of only two examples made with luxurious Sèvres porcelain; the other was presented as a gift by President Georges Pompidou to Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1972, where it remains in their collection today.

The bar furniture piece is one that Lalanne explored in multiple animal forms—hippopotamus, carp, a polymorphic cat. He created sculptures with similar mechanisms to transform into desks, wash basins, even a fireplace within the belly of a baboon. Though his work is wonderfully witty and original, it is not without the influence of history. It is apparent the ways in which Lalanne was inspired by the Surrealist movement and the innovation of convertible 18^th century French furniture.  The often massive scale of his sculpture, including that of Sauterelle, references Lalanne’s personal experience working as a guard in the Egyptian and Assyrian galleries at the Louvre. There, alone in the galleries during closed hours, Lalanne had the ancient monumental stone sculptures to himself to revel in their quiet yet overwhelming power and dignity.

With its hinged porcelain plates closed, the larger-than-life Sauterelle has striking sculptural presence. The sharp angles of its welded steel legs bring energy and dynamism to the work, almost making us believe it might suddenly spring into the air. When opened, the revelation of its utility tames the imposing yet charismatic beast by inviting viewers to approach and interact. Its wings rise up and outward to offer a surface to rest your drink. It is this clever synthesis of art and function, fantasy and familiarity, that makes Sauterelle a quintessential work within Lalanne’s oeuvre. It is exemplary of what art critic John Russell described as “a complex art: one which mates Ancient Egypt with Alice in Wonderland, zoology with cabinet-making, metaphysics with personal adornment. It is also an art of psychic equilibrium. Its basic temper is inquisitive, undiscouraged, resourceful. It is there to work for us, yet it is not at all servile. It has its own life, and it leads it, and we are the richer for its being around.”