MICHEL BASSOMPIERRE
IN CARQUEFOU (44)
Bufo Viridis
Bronze
Since their acquisition in 1999 by the town of Carquefou, nine bronze toads by the Grand Master of contemporary sculpture Michel BASSOMPIERRE have been enthroned on Place Aristide BRIAND. They were restored in the summer of 2025.
ARISTIDE BRIAND SQUARE RENAMED “PLACE DES GRENOUILLES” BY THE RESIDENTS OF CARQUEFOU
In 1998, Michel Bassompierre took part in the Carquefou Autumn Fair and won first prize in the public vote. The town council then decided to commission him to enhance the future development of Aristide Briand Square. Nine lifelike bronze toads have since embellished the square. These are the only ones from Michel Bassompierre's series.
Very quickly, the residents of Carquefou renamed the square “Place des Grenouilles” (Frog Square), proof that they have fully embraced these sculptures. And yet, toads and frogs belong to different species, even though they are both signs of a healthy ecosystem...
MICHEL BASSOMPIERRE, GRAND MASTER OF CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE
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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.