Born in 1948 in Paris into a family that combined artistic sensitivity with scientific rigor, Michel Bassompierre developed a fascination with drawing and the animal world at an early age. Trained at the Rouen School of Fine Arts, he developed an instantly recognizable style, combining technical mastery and pure emotion.
His works, made of bronze or marble, feature rounded animals—bears, gorillas, Asian elephants, pandas, and horses—which he renders with remarkable gentleness and precision. Thanks to a rigorous knowledge of anatomy, he manages to capture the spirit of his subjects while freeing himself from any anecdote. In his work, his "animal brother" becomes a sovereign presence: peaceful, magnetic, majestic.
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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.
THE ARTIST
2025: Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters
2018 : Evelyn and Peter Haller Special Award from The Society of Animal Artists
2017 : François POMPON Prize
1998 : Gold Medal at the Salon des Artistes Français
1990 : Grand Prix of the Salon of French Artists
1989 : Grand Prix of the National Animal Artists Exhibition
1988 : Silver Medal from the Salon des Artistes Français
1988 : Fernand Mery Prize from the National Salon of Animal Artists
1988 : TAYLOR Foundation Award
1987 : Prize from the General Council of Loire-Atlantique
1985 : JOHNSON Foundation Prize