Michel BASSOMPIERRE | Sculpteur animalier | Exposition ANIMAL / Sous le regard des Grands Maîtres : POMPON

EXHIBITION

MICHEL BASSOMPIERRE
IN SAULIEU (21)

Animal: Under the gaze of the Grand Masters

In 1922, François POMPON was revealed to the general public after presenting his Ours blanc at the Salon d'Automne. To celebrate this centenary, the Pompon Museum in Saulieu, the town from which it originates, has chosen to honor the work of its worthy successor: Michel BASSOMPIERRE.

Until September 30, as part of this exceptional exhibition, six monumental bears are presented in the city and at the Relais Bernard LOISEAU. The François POMPON Museum houses around twenty marbles and bronzes , as well as drawings and sketches by the artist .

MICHEL BASSOMPIERRE, GRAND MASTER OF CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE

Born in Paris in 1948 into a family combining artistic sensitivity and scientific rigor, Michel BASSOMPIERRE developed an early fascination for drawing and the animal world. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, he developed an immediately recognizable style, combining technical mastery and pure emotion.

His works, in bronze or marble, feature rounded animals - bears, gorillas, Asian elephants, pandas or horses - which he renders with remarkable gentleness and precision. Thanks to his rigorous knowledge of anatomy, he manages to capture the spirit of his subjects without the need for anecdotes. In his work, his “animal brother” becomes a sovereign presence: peaceful, magnetic, majestic.

Represented by numerous galleries (New York, London, Valencia, Miami, Venice, Paris...), Michel BASSOMPIERRE has countless collectors worldwide. His monumental sculptures, grouped together under the title “Fragile Colossi”, true emblems of endangered species, have been exhibited in prestigious venues in France, Monaco, Belgium, La Mamounia in Morocco and New York.

Find out more about Michel BASSOMPIERRE

POMPON & BASSOMPIERRE: ANIMAL ARTISTS WITH A UNIQUE ARTISTIC APPROACH

If François POMPON and Michel BASSOMPIERRE are known for their bears, they share many other points in common such as their fascination for the animal or the elimination of details. But from this common base, they each developed very different styles, with a unique approach to sculpture…

To find out more about the two sculptors

THE EXHIBITION AT THE FRANCOIS POMPON MUSEUM

It invites visitors to discover around twenty marbles and bronzes of gorillas, bears, horses, elephants, as well as drawings and sketches by Michel BASSOMPIERRE.

1 place of Doctor Roclore

21 210 Saulieu

Monday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday and public holidays from 10.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Prices: €3 per person. Free for under 18s and for all Sundays

WHERE TO SEE THE WORKS IN THE STREETS OF SAULIEU

A WORD FROM THE MAYOR OF SAULIEU MARTINE MAZILLY
& THE CULTURAL ASSISTANT MARIE-CLAUDE OVERNEY

"Inviting Michel BASSOMPIERRE, to celebrate the centenary of the Polar Bear by François POMPON, sounds obvious... The presence of the works of this contemporary sculptor, in the museum and in the open air in the town of Saulieu, reveals the common points shared by these two animal artists, even if they each developed different styles. To cross their gaze on animal beauty is to show that by concentrating on the essentials of the forms, they elegantly underline the very essence of a beast, the softness of the curves and postures, the light which glides over powerful muscles.

POMPON - BASSOMPIERRE, everything unites them: the technique and the expertise of the modelers and stonemasons, as well as the humility and the benevolence of the great men, which one guesses in the depths of the eyes. This artistic and human fusion makes this exhibition, without a doubt, the sacred union of the Grand Masters."

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE FRANCOIS POMPON MUSEUM, LAURENCE JOIN

"The City of Saulieu commemorates this year the centenary of the polar bear of François POMPON (1855-1933). It was indeed in 1922 that the artist from Sédéloc presented this sculpture at the Salon d'Automne in Paris. Having become mythical and popular, this work aroused a passion that opened the doors to fame and gave a second wind to his career. The artist is then considered one of the best animal painters of his time, bringing to 20th century sculpture a new and modern vision which paved the way for many artists.

To celebrate this centenary, the city of Saulieu and the François POMPON Museum present, from May to September, several sculptures by Michel BASSOMPIERRE: six monumental bears installed in the open air will complete the museum exhibition. A unique opportunity to see that these two artists, driven by the same fascination for the animal world and clean shapes, develop a style of their own, even if they both take a tender look at their models."