Centre Pompidou Features Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne Career Retrospective
On June 11, 2026, the Centre Pompidou published a feature on Claude Lalanne (1925-2019) and François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008). The museum holds several major pieces by the duo, who began collaborating in Paris in 1956 after meeting in 1952 and held their first joint exhibition titled Zoophites at galerie J in 1964. Their works include Claude's galvanoplasty leaf imprints and vegetable forms as well as François-Xavier's monumental animal furniture such as Rhinocrétaire and Troupeau de moutons, with key collectors including Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
The Signal
The feature underscores the Lalannes' position in French institutional collections and their influence on the boundary between sculpture and functional design. A 1974 bronze mirror series by Claude Lalanne from the Bergé-Saint Laurent collection later sold for 33.5 million dollars in April 2026, illustrating sustained market interest in their output. For curators and collectors the Centre Pompidou text supplies primary biographical context on the artists' Paris ateliers and international exhibitions from the 1960s onward.
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- Artists: Claude Lalanne, François-Xavier Lalanne
- People: Serge Gainsbourg, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé
- Auction Houses: Sotheby's
- Galleries: galerie J, Alexandre Iolas
- Museums: Centre Pompidou
- Locations: Paris
- Prices: 33.5 million dollars
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