Sculpture by Design: Rateau | Giacometti | Les Lalanne
Sculpture by Design: Rateau | Giacometti | Les Lalanne
Property from an Important North American Collection
Claude Lalanne
Unique "Végétale" Mirror
Auction Closed
December 8, 04:49 PM GMT
Estimate
500,000 - 700,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Property from an Important North American Collection
Claude Lalanne
Unique "Végétale" Mirror
2015
gilt bronze, galvanized copper, mirrored glass
monogrammed CL, numbered 1/1, dated 2015 and impressed LALANNE
24¾ x 93 x 4¼ in. (62.8 x 236.2 x 10.8 cm)
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2015
Daniel Marchesseau, Les Lalanne, Paris, 1998, pp. 138-139 (for related examples in the Salon des Miroirs for the apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Paris)
Reed Krakoff, Ben Brown and Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, exh. cat., Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York and Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, 2006, pp. 22-23 (for related examples)
Les Lalanne, exh. cat., Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2010, p. 96 (for related examples)
Adrien Dannatt, Les Lalanne, Fifty Years of Work, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, 2015, pp. 68 (for related examples in the Salon des Miroirs for the apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Paris) and 184-197 (for related examples)
The poetic designs of Claude Lalanne invite us to settle into a state of reverie and reflect on the power and beauty of the natural world. Cast in bronze, her depictions of flora and fauna are drawn from just outside her door in the French countryside. They retain the delicacy and nuance of living organisms despite their execution in metal—a testament to Lalanne’s impeccable skill and artistry. Frozen in time in various stages of growth and decay, her works are imbued with romance and nostalgia. Her creations are further enriched by their presentation in the form of familiar, everyday objects: a piece of jewelry, an armchair, a mirror. By making utility an integral element of her designs, she encourages us to approach and touch, bringing us in contact with the fantastic.
The present mirror captures Claude Lalanne’s unique aesthetic. It is surrealist in its vegetal motif, yet possesses a classical sensibility in its monumental scale, striking a careful balance between fantasy, familiarity, and opulence. Lalanne made several closely related mirrors for her friends and patrons Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé for their Salon des Miroirs at their residence, which call to mind the mirrors of Versailles. The present mirror is unique. Lalanne’s husband and co-creator, François-Xavier Lalanne, once commented “Claude works the way birds sing, without really thinking about it,” an intuitive working style which is clearly represented in the delightfully naturalistic composition and charming irregularities of the present mirror.