FEATURES ARCHIVE

With their flair for the imaginative, the surreal and the amusing, French husband-and-wife artists Claude (b. 1924) and François-Xavier (1927-2008) Lalanne are considered to be among the most creative and celebrated sculptors of the second half of the 20th century. With artworks that inhabit a realm somewhere between industrial design and sculpture, a recent resurgence of interest has caused their works to skyrocket in popularity, and today works by the design duo are some of the most sought-after of the market.

Whether working on his own or in collaboration with his wife, François-Xavier (or “F-X,” as he was known to friends) delighted in creations that were both playful and practical. The artist’s seemingly endless imagination derives from formative experiences early in his artistic career. His first studio in Paris was located in the artists’ enclave of Montparnasse, where he lived next to avant-garde sculptor Constantin Brancusi. François-Xavier also spent a brief period working as an attendant in the ancient Egyptian galleries of the Louvre museum, where he was surrounded by animal sculptures. These decisive experiences may have inspired some of his most lively creations including perhaps his most famous work, “Rhinocrétaire,” a life-size metal rhinoceros whose side opened up to double as a desk (the name itself being a pun, combining the French word for “rhinoceros” with the word for “writing desk,” sécretaire).

The Lalannes began working with topiary art in 1979. This delightful life-size copper turtle topiary represents François-Xavier’s fascination with animals, nature and allegory, while at the same time speaking to his desire for functionality. The plants on the turtle make the sculpture come alive as it changes through the seasons of the year and integrates into its garden surroundings.