François Pompon

Who was François Pompon?

François Pompon was a French sculptor and animalier.

Born in Saulieu in Burgundy, he moved to Paris. Beginning in 1870 he studied under the noted animalier Pierre Louis Rouillard at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, and later worked as Auguste Rodin's assistant. He became famous for his stylized animals with L'Ours Blanc in 1922, a huge marble sculpture largely reproduced. The original is located at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

François Pompon may be considered as a forerunner of modern sculpture, and influenced Constantin Brâncuși, among others.