François-Xavier Lalanne

Les Lalannes: Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, exh. cat., Marisa del Re Gallery, New York, 1988, cover
Daniel Marchesseau, Les Lalanne, Paris, 1998, p. 146
Daniel Abadie, Lalanne(s), Paris, 2008, pp. 186-187
Paul Kasmin, Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, New York, 2012, n.p.
Adrien Dannatt, Les Lalanne, Fifty Years of Work, exh. cat., Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, 2015, pp. 106 and 108
Les Lalanne à Trianon, exh. cat., Château de Versailles, Paris, 2021, pp. 86 and 88 (for a related example)

François-Xavier Lalanne began his art education at the Académie Julian in Paris where he studied sculpture, painting, and drawing. As he transitioned to a focus in sculpture, his renting of a studio in Montparnasse made him the direct neighbor of Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși. During this time, he was introduced to surrealist artists including Man Ray, Max Ernst and Marcel Duchamp, each of which had a significant influence on his developing, modern style.

As one of the designer’s best-known models, Lalanne’s Mouton de Pierre perfectly integrates lightheartedness with creative ingenuity. Serving as a functioning seat and minimalist art work, the mouton series employs a variety of materials including wool and stone, making them suitable for outdoor installation. First exhibited in 1965 at the Salon de la Jeune Peinture in Paris, Lalanne’s sheep did not conform to the Parisian conception of high art or design. Rather, they revitalized the Parisian vigor for decorative art with their playful disposition. At the intersection of art and furniture, the present work captures the designer’s true intent - to make a statement.