Claude Lalanne

Claude Lalanne was a French sculptor and designer known for her whimsical and surrealistic works, often inspired by the natural world. Lalanne was born in Paris and studied at the École des Arts Appliqués in the city. She began her career as a designer, working with her husband François-Xavier Lalanne to create furniture and other decorative objects that blurred the line between art and design. In the 1960s, Lalanne began to focus more on sculpture, creating whimsical and surrealistic pieces that often featured animals and other natural forms. She was particularly known for her "sheep" sculptures, which were created by casting real sheep in bronze and then embellishing them with a variety of ornamental details.