In 1992 Francois-Xavier Lalanne was commissioned to create a group of geese for the town of Sarlat’s central square. The town, located in the French region of Périgord is famous...
In 1992 Francois-Xavier Lalanne was commissioned to create a group of geese for the town of Sarlat’s central square. The town, located in the French region of Périgord is famous for its local delicacy, foie gras, even naming its main square “Place du Marché aux Oies” where a group of three of Lalanne’s geese can still be found today.
For his early collector and friend Madame X., Francois-Xavier Lalanne thought to place a group of five “Wild Geese” next to the flock of his iconic “Moutons.” Over the years, the husband and wife team installed many sculptures for her, creating a visual dialogue within Madame X's lush gardens.
“Les oies sauvage” represent the essence of Lalanne’s vision. In Ancient Egypt (one of the artist’s favorite sources of inspiration) the goose was considered sacred and was a common artistic image. However, it is the great French Art Deco sculptors such as Francois Pompon, Eduard-Marcel Sandoz and most of all Constantin Brancusi whose aesthetic Francois-Xavier Lalanne admired. Combining idea and form, the artist’s signature sense of humor also comes through in the way that he positioned the geese within the gaggle, each bird with a specific place and character, playfully interacting with the others.