The mission of promoting the work of François Pompon
Since François Pompon’s works fell into the public domain, reproductions of the artist’s sculptures have been appearing on the art and decoration markets.
These reproductions, often approximate, are never made with the original sculptures, and even less with the advice of the owners and copyright holders.
“The white bear is the French people’s favorite sculpture”
While many people are familiar with the “polar bear”, few know Pompon and his work.
So we began a veritable crusade to promote the artist’s work.
Of course, our first job is to publish sculptures.
They will be scrupulously identical in form and material, and will be verified by experts and the François Pompon Association.
“Putting our footsteps in their footprints”
Art publishing is the most effective way of promoting an artist’s memory.
Many artists are still alive in our eyes because their art lives in our homes: from the Basquiat T-shirt to the recent Magritte glasses, their universe survives the passage of time.
The strategy for Pompon is clear: distribute and replace all unofficial sculpture editions (all outside the Réunion des Musées Nationaux, which has been doing exceptional work for a long time).
The Pompon® brand was born of this desire. This brand, a tribute to the artist’s memory and talent, is now the first official brand for François Pompon art reproductions and editions.
François Pompon
(1855-1933)
Faithful reproductions of Francois Pompon sculptures and exclusive collaborations
Artémus publishes high-quality reproductions of the artist’s sculptures under the Pompon® brand name. Our wish is that every admirer of François Pompon should be able to confidently purchase a reproduction of his sculptures. We also offer limited editions in collaboration with other major artists or their assignees. Such is the case with the Yves Klein edition of the Pompon bear and the Pompon x Orlinski bear, both of which met with great success.
More are on the way, because with this principle we’ve discovered a Trojan horse approach to making Pompon known across the world.
Almost 100 galleries worldwide distribute our editions.
With the support of the François Pompon Association
From the outset, we have been working with the François Pompon Association, a non-profit cultural organization under the French law of 1901. Its passionate volunteer members do an outstanding job of defending the work and influence of sculptor François Pompon. Its aim is to encourage all research and diffusion contributing to a better knowledge of the work of the Burgundian sculptor. Based on his will (dated June 5, 1929), the association aims to defend François Pompon’s moral interests and ensure respect for his creations. It’s a goal we share, and one to which we’d like to make our own contribution. All Artémus editions concerning the artist François Pompon are therefore made with the endorsement of the François Pompon Association. The association also aims to enrich the collections of Saulieu’s municipal museum, mainly through direct purchases. Here too, we support the association in its efforts.
Faithful reproductions of the original artworks
Reproducing a work of art faithfully is a work of art on its own! Today, we combine the talents of skilled craftsmen with the latest technologies. It all begins with an ultra-high-definition 3D scan of an original sculpture by the artist, entrusted to us by the museum that owns it. Lasers capture every nuance of the sculpture (several million points) to create a file that will enable 3D printing of the work. It is on the basis of this first, highly accurate physical representation that the craftsman intervenes. He or she corrects by hand the small details and subtleties that the machine missed. Next comes the making of the mold that will be used for the creation. Each piece that comes out of the mold is finished by hand: sanding, finishing.
Each edition is therefore unique and the fruit of a long chain of artisan skills.
Liliane Colas, a historian of animal art from the so-called Golden Age of the 1930s, and a contributor to the catalog raisonnée of François Pompon’s work (Gallimard/Electa/Réunion des musées nationaux), knows the artist’s work like no one else. In our opinion, she is the most qualified expert to analyze a reproduction of a François Pompon sculpture. It’s no coincidence that auction houses ask her to appraise original works by the sculptor that pass through their hands.
All our editions are stamped with the Artémus logo: this guarantees the quality of the reproduction and avoids any confusion with original works or editions from the artist’s lifetime.
This true partnership with art experts is essential, as it brings the necessary transparency to the art world, and particularly to the publishing market.
