Black Panther by Pompon Replica Statue

Black Panther by Pompon Replica Statue. French sculptor Pompon is world renown for his gentle, smooth animal statues, most especially the collection at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. This reproduction of Pompon's statue of a Black Panther Walking extends the collection of museum replicas manufactured by Parastone in Europe. It makes a lovely pendent pair to Pompon's most famous statue of a Polar Bear. Pompon was born in Saulieu in French Burgundy as the son of a carpenter. At his fifteenth he takes service with a stonemason in Dijon where he learns the principles of sculpting and attends evening classes at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts. Five years later he goes to Paris where he also works for a stonemason in Montparnasse during the daytime and attends evening classes at l'Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratif. Later he contributes to new decorations for the Hotel de Ville which had been set on fire in the time of the Commune. During his education he meets Pierre-Louis Rouillard, a sculptor of animal figures who possibly became a source of inspiration for the work which would make him famous later on. In 1882 he marries Berthe Valain, who, like his mother, worked as a couturier. He tries to build his own oeuvre and although his first major sculpture Cosette draws the attention of the salon-jury; an independent sculpting career seems far away. He ends up taking service with Rodin where he becomes head of his studio three years later. Upon his death, Pompon left nearly 300 pieces to the French state which were eventually displayed at the Musee des Beaux Arts in Dijon. The Musee d'Orsay in Paris has a large collection of plaster models.