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.