Claude Lalanne

Commissioned directly from Claude Lalanne in 1995 by the present owner

Pierre Passebon, Jacques Grange, Oeuvres récentes, Paris, 2021, p. 295, illustrated in colour

Among Claude Lalanne’s most captivating creations is a unique Structure Végétale Mirror, framed by twenty-two galvanized copper leaves, a striking work that encapsulates her extraordinary ability to seamlessly blend sculpture, design, and nature. Among several mirrors by Claude Lalanne in the Karpidas collection, the present lot, with its many exquisitely formed leaves and large size, is the most impressive in her collection. Accompanying this mirror is a wall light crafted in a similarly poetic spirit, together forming an intimate dialogue between reflection, illumination, and the vegetal world.

In some of Claude Lalanne’s most dramatic mirrors, branches appear to sprout organically from the frame, their edges adorned with exquisitely detailed leaves. These larger-than-life leaves, enriched by a vibrant patina, create a sense of movement and depth, as if the piece itself is alive. Such details imbue the work with a lively dynamism, amplifying Lalanne’s talent for animating natural motifs with poetic sensitivity and precision.

At the heart of Lalanne’s creative process lies a devotion to beauty and whimsy. She once said, “What matters is the form and what it inspires in me. It isn’t a success until I find it beautiful, which is a rare and instantaneous reaction. It’s there or it isn’t, there is no other way.” This insistence on beauty as an immediate and profound experience elevates her work beyond mere decoration or utility, making every piece a unique encounter with form and imagination.

The present mirror is a perfect example of the artist’s ability to distill organic beauty and masterful craftsmanship into a magnificent work of art.