440004 - Pompon, François (Saulieu, Côte-d’Or Department, 1855 – 1933, Paris), “Grand Cerf 1929,” signed “Pompon” on the base; “Cire” stamp by Gieser on the back of the base. C. Valsuani, Perdu (Valsuani Foundry, Paris), cast using the lost-wax method, height 61, width 34 cm, depth 15 cm, weight 6.4 kg, Françoise Pompon was a prominent French Art Deco sculptor; he primarily sculpted animals and was known as an “animalier”; at age 15, he attended evening classes at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris; at the Hôtel de Ville, he met the sculptor Pierre-Louis-Rouillard, who influenced him; He worked on several small objects and developed his own style, which caught the attention of the jury at the Salon de Paris; he went on to work for Auguste Rodin, where he managed and shaped the studio for three years, From 1896 onward, he worked for the sculptor René de Saint-Marceaux; it was not until 1922 that he achieved his breakthrough with his Art Deco-style polar bear. Some of his models are on display in several renowned museums. Provenance: private collection in the Saarland. 6059-0006