The ultimate expression of status? A Lalanne sheep. Or multiple Lalanne sheep. Toeing the line between kitschy and brilliant, there’s a certain appeal to having an almost extortionately expensive version of a commonly found object or animal in your home. Where Jeff Koons’ most iconic pieces are approached through a playful pop art lens in the form of balloon animals, French artist François-Xavier Lalanne’s infamous sheep are just that: sheep.
Described by the artist himself as “immodest and slightly embarrassing,” the sheep were first presented in 1965 at the Salon de la Jeune Peinture in Paris. Born out of Lalanne’s desire to make a statement, the artist fashioned a set of two dozen sheep in the living room of the Paris apartment he shared with his wife and artistic partner, sculptor Claude Lalanne. Of the original flock, four featured bronze faces while the others remained headless, each clad in fluffy sheepskins. Whether a tongue-in-cheek critique of the herd mentality of the Parisian bourgeoisie at the time or simply just…sheep, there’s no denying the enduring allure of a flock of Lalanne sheep.
“I thought that it would be funny to invade that big living room with a flock of sheep,” Lalanne once said. “It is, after all, easier to have a sculpture in an apartment than to have a real sheep. And, it’s even better if you can sit on it.” Indeed the functionality (or sit-ability) of the Lalanne sheep has contributed to its success, with Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé commissioning a set to be placed through their garden and around their library; with the flock in the latter often used for lounging. A specific epoxy variant (used in place of the sheepskin) was conceived during the 1970s for outdoor use, however the original sheepskin sheep remain the quintessential elevated kitschy object.
Despite the ubiquity of their muses, the popularity of Lalanne’s sheep has seen them auctioned off at eye-watering prices; in 2011, a set of a dozen epoxy Lalanne sheep was sold for almost USD$7.5 million at Christie’s. Indeed it might be more cost effective to fill your home with an actual flock of sheep.
At a time when quiet luxury interiors—having filtered through our wardrobes and into our homes—are working to convey luxury through sumptuous fabrics and textures as well as IYKYK furniture, there’s a certain charm to obvious superfluous decor. Where the decidedly not-old-money netizens who have co-opted the quiet luxury aesthetic often cite the maxim ‘money talks, wealth whispers’ and are almost insecurely cognisant of ever veering into ‘tacky’ territory, the kind of customer who purchases a Lalanne sheep (or a whole flock of them) is likely one who isn’t concerned about the options of the masses, making it the ultimate symbol of both status and defiance.
After all, a Lalanne sheep doesn’t whisper (it baas!) — it stands proudly, asking to be sat on and positively begging to be talked about.
Feature image courtesy of Carlo Bavagnoli
Words by T. Angel
