Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008) The snail, 2002 lithograph hand signed in pencil by François Xavier Lalanne, in perfect condition This lithograph by François Xavier Lalanne depicts a beautiful snail. Dimensions of the paper : 38 x 28 cm (14,96 x 11 inches) with his wife Claude, Francois Xavier Lalanne (1908-2008) is the most famous French sculptor of the second half of the twentieth century. His work is characterized by the animal imagery. He studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris. When he arrived in the city, he was introduced to many Surrealist and Modernist figures, such as Man Ray, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Constantin Brancusi. He is particularly known for his sheeps, rams, birds and hens. Supported by gallerists like Alexandre Iolas, Leo Castelli, Paul Kasmin and Ben Brown, his work was early collected by great connoisseurs, among whom Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé, Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Marino, Valentino,Terry de Gunzburg, Alberto Pinto, the Rothschilds, the Noailles, Jane Holzer, Michael Shvo, Georges Pompidou, Roman Abramovich, Jacques Grange\. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no official proof of authenticity, however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising from misattribution