with excellence. The sculpture was also one of L’Enlèvement d’Europe a captivé les artistes depuis des siècles, peut- the only works by the artist inspired by Greek être de façon plus connue par Titien en 1560, et même si les premières mythology along with Olympe from 1994 and représentations du mythe remontent au V siècle avant notre ère, l’originee the Centaure from 1985, a classical and timeless du mythe, lui, reste mystérieux. Le poète Ovide en a ancré la légende en l’an choice which, one can only suppose, was deter- 1 de notre ère, et relate l’histoire de la princesse phénicienne Europe qui, mined by the «public» nature of the commission. approchée par Zeus sous les traits d’un taureau d’une blancheur immaculée, Finally, along with the Lapin Victoire, the réussit à séduire la princesse avant de l’enlever vers l’île de Crète pour Dimetrodon, and the Centaure from 1985, this work is one of the only monumental sculptures assouvir sa passion, qui donnera naissance au roi Minos et au peuplement of the artist.Created off the beaten track, Claude de Crète. Lalanne, now 65, undertakes this new challenge for the CEDEP park by selecting the suggestive Claude Lalanne aborde ce sujet éminemment codifié en choisissant le but relevant theme of the Abduction of Europa, moment de la première séduction entre Zeus-Taureau et Europe, peu in parallel with the unprecedented European après leur rencontre. Le taureau se dresse fier, dans des lignes angulaires project of the Bellifontain Education Center puissantes et la tête dressée, le regard plongé dans le visage anonyme bringing together the largest companies on the d’Europe, mais dont le corps lascif accueille déjà largement l’animal. Continent for the permanent training of senior Ce couple, conçu dans un esprit de proportion synthétique à l’académisme executives. The CEDEP sculpture presented in ingresque, propose des courbes féminines visibles d lbras, les this sale, discretely numbered 1/1 on one of the ans es hooves, is the very first edition – the first concep- jambes, les mains et les pieds d’Europe qui se confrontent avec harmonie tion – of a sculpture that was installed on the aux puissantes lignes angulaires masculines du taureau pour créer la tension grounds of the CEDEP park on June 19, 1991, érotique. On note enfin, dans les jambes et le cou du taureau, et dans le shortly after the installation of the allegorical dos d’Europe, certaines lignes créant des angles de reliefs cubisantes qui sculptures by François-Xavier Lalanne. Eight conceptualisent les corps, parvenant à placer ce couple improbable hors numbered copies of the unique original work du temps, accédant par là-même à l’universalité. were later casted. One of them, photographed by the art dealer Paul Kasmin, was kept at the Lalanne studio in Ury, near Fontainebleau.The 17 Abduction of Europa has captivated artists for many centuries, Titien’s painting in 1560 being perhaps the best example. Although the first re- presentations date from the Fifth century before our Era, the original myth remains mysterious. In the first century of our Era, the poet Ovide immortalized the legend, telling the story of the Phoenician princess Europa, who was seduced by Zeus, disguised as an immaculate white bull, and was then abducted to the island of Crete to consummate his passion, resulting in the birth of King Minos and the people of Crete.Claude Lalanne tackles this eminently codified subject by focusing on the initial seduction scene between Zeus, the Bull, and Europa, shortly after their meeting. The bull stands proud, with powerful angular lines and the head raised high, his gaze fixed on the anonymous face of Europa, whose lustful body is already partially overwhelmed by the animal. The couple is conceived in a spirt of synthetic proportion evoking Ingre’s acade- my style, offers an erotic tension created by the harmonious confrontation of Europa’s feminine curves, visible in her arms, her legs, her hands and feet, with the bull’s strong angular mascu- line lines. Finally, certain lines in the legs and neck of the bull and the back of Europa create angles of cubist reliefs that conceptualize the bodies, placing this unlikely couple out of time, thereby attaining universality. François-Xavier et Claude Lalanne VIARD M/HorizonFeatures/Leemage UAELBENIATNOF À ENNALAL SED TERCES NIDRAJ EL1202 ERBOTCO 3 EHCNAMID