Exhibition

Move Over, Marie Antoinette—These Giant Animal Sculptures Are Taking Over Versailles

Of course, they are the work of Les Lalanne
Image may contain Grass Plant and Lawn
A Lalanne gorilla sculpture surveys the Trianon area of Versailles.Photo: Capucine de Chabaneix 

While Paris is bustling with renewed energy and life, its nearby neighbors refuse to be outdone by the City of Light. Case in point? None other than Versailles. In addition to opening a gorgeous hotel (the Airelles Château de Versailles) this summer, the palatial property is poised to unveil a head-turning new installation. The effort, which is set to be unveiled later this week, will be the largest outdoor exhibition to date of the late French artists Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne. Located on the grounds of the Trianon, it covers 50 years of creative production and is set to remain on view through October 10.

“After the Lalannes’ exhibition in Bagatelle in 1998, I have always been thinking about another major exhibition for them and of course, always thought about Versailles,” Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand, the longtime dealer of Les Lalanne and a chief organizer of the show, says to AD PRO. “I had spoken to Claude Lalanne about this, but it was toward the end and she was just too tired and didn’t want to embark on a major project like this. About three months ago I was having lunch with Catherine Pégard, a great friend and president of Versailles, and I asked what she thought about doing an exhibition. She said yes immediately, and at the same time told me it had to happen now for the summer and for the reopening of Versailles after lockdown.” 

Soon, Mitterrand sprung into action. And now, “Les Lalannes at Trianon” is set to be unveiled on June 19. Approximately 60 works of art will be scattered throughout the grounds of the garden area, which encompasses the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen’s Hamlet, and English and French gardens. “The results are ravishing,” Mitterrand adds. “The proportions are perfect for their work. I always wanted to associate their [oeuvre] with the grand history of France and great French taste.”

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Present are the iconic sheep grazing on a hill, ducks in a pond, and standing bunny, with additional works sprinkled throughout. “[It] is all in large part thanks to the artist’s four daughters that this exhibition is possible,” Mitterrand explains. “Seventy percent of the works come directly from the family and the rest from collectors. There are perhaps a few [pieces] I would have loved to have, but we have a wonderful group.”

For Mitterrand, regardless of the exhibition checklist’s specifics, the through line from past to present is abundantly clear. “They have always worked in the tradition of the great French artists and decorators,” he notes of Les Lalanne. At another point, he reflects: “[Trianon] is the beginning of romanticism and a new sensitivity to nature. The installation, [fittingly], is a romantic walk through the gardens.” The perfect activity for any idyllic summer day, it seems.

Les Nouveaux Moutons, Brebis, from 1994, blend in perfectly.

Photo: Capucine de Chabaneix 

Choupatte, which was created in 2016.

Photo: Capucine de Chabaneix 

A donkey, or Ane Bâté, which dates back to the 1980s.

Photo: Capucine de Chabaneix 

The tall standing rabbit, or Lapin à Vent de Tourtour.

Photo: Capucine de Chabaneix