François-Xavier Lalanne

Guy Pieters gallery, Knokke-Heist

Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 2002

Private collection, Belgium

For the models :

Les Lalanne, exhibition catalogue, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 17 March – 4 July 2010, p. 108, 112 and 114

Adrian Dannatt, François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne : In the Domain of Dreams, New York, 2018, p. 117

François-Marie Banier and Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand, La maison-aterlier de Claude et François-Xavier Lalanne, Montreuil, 2018, p. 31

The figure of the monkey occupies an essential place in François-Xavier Lalanne's bestiary, whether in his functional works or, as here, in his purest sculpture. Known respectively as Singe attentif I and Singe attentif II, they form an iconic pair among the most admired in the artist's animal universe. Cast in 2000, the artist patinated them in cloudy green hues.

True icons, our Capuchins, with their watchful eyes and peaceful smiles, seem to wake up in a hieratic posture, with an obvious benevolence on the world around them.

They perfectly illustrate François-Xavier Lalanne's ability to make his art so universal. The Capuchins combine rigorous elegance and stylized form, while animating their expression with a playfulness that makes them irresistible.