François Pompon

The son of a cabinetmaker, François Pompon entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon after working with stone and wood in Saulieu to earn his living.

He studied architecture and sculpture and acquired some rudiments of engraving. In 1874, he left for Paris and entered into contact with the entrepreneurs who transformed Paris during the Second Empire.

He executed decorative figures and caryatids for the façade of the Hôtel de Ville and then joined Rodin as a practitioner, where he remained for fifteen years. He had to wait until the age of 67 and the 1922 Salon to achieve success with "The White Bear."

Known primarily as an animal sculptor, he exalted the lyricism of light in the polished surfaces and the economy of detail. After being preserved at the Jardin des Plantes, the three hundred pieces bequeathed by F. Pompon were permanently transferred to Dijon, to the Museum of Fine Arts.