La Pacholette
About this artwork
César became internationally known in the 1960s for his sculptures made by crushing cars. However, he had been making figurative sculpture since the early 1950s by welding together scrap metal. He made a series of female torsos and later moved on to making wing-like structures and imaginary and fantastical animals. In this large bronze sculpture, the bird’s encrusted feet contrast with its polished, if ragged-edged, plumage. The title is taken from a French slang word used in Marseilles, described by the artist’s assistant as meaning ‘something like “a nice girl” or as we could say in a certain vulgar French “une belle poule”.’
Updated before 2020
-
artist:César (César Baldaccini) (1921 - 1998) French
-
title:La Pacholette
-
date created:1966
-
materials:Bronze (6/9)
-
measurements:86.40 x 96.50 x 72.00 cm
-
object type:
-
credit line:Purchased 1970
-
accession number:GMA 1107
-
gallery:
César (César Baldaccini)
César (César Baldaccini)
César was born in Marseille, where he studied art before going on to study in Paris from 1943 to 1948. His early work used soldered and welded metal as well as junk materials, and by 1960 César was considered one of France's leading sculptors. In that year he astonished his followers by showing...