Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne at Home

If your work week was anything like mine, then we all deserve a restful weekend. And what better way to wind down the week than with these bucolic photos of the rural home and workshops of the artist Claude Lalanne and her late husband François-Xavier. Located near Fontainebleau, the Lalannes' home was a 19th century dairy farm that they purchased in the late 1960s. (You can just barely make out the farm in a foggy photo, below.) Unfortunately, I don't know if Claude still lives on the farm after the 2008 death of her husband.

What might be even more enchanting than the 19th c. buildings are the Lalannes' sculptures that were dotted throughout the landscape. François-Xavier's bronze and stone sheep stood guard beneath a sculpture of the garden goddess Flora (see photo above), while Claude's copper and bronze alligator chair provided a nice perch upon which to sit and take in nature's beauty. It really does look like a magical forest.




A François-Xavier bronze bird amongst the grapevines.




The 19th century dairy farm that they called home.




François-Xavier's blue hippo has a basin in its mouth and a tub in its stomach.




This bronze garden chair, designed by Claude, was made for the Lila Acheson Wallace garden in Williamsburg.





Claude's copper and bronze alligator chair.




Claude wearing her work uniform of white overalls and a denim jacket. Upon her head is a pink-patinated bronze butterfly hat that she made.




All photos from House & Garden, December 1988, Alexandre Bailhache photographer.