François Pompon: A Pioneer of Stylized Animalier Sculpture François Pompon (1855 – 1933) stands as a singular figure in the history of French sculpture, recognized posthumously for his groundbreaking contribution to modern art. Born Saulieu, Burgundy, he emerged from humble beginnings—the son of a cabinet maker—to become one of the foremost practitioners of animalier sculpture, a movement that sought to capture the dynamism and essence of animals through simplified forms and expressive gestures. His artistic journey was marked by apprenticeship, study under luminaries like Pierre Louis Rouil…