European Art

This reproduction of a polar bear is a cast of the original statue by the sculptor François Pompon on display at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. However, the best-known example is the one on display at the Musée d'Orsay since 1986. 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 came into contact with the entrepreneurs who were transforming the Paris of the Second Empire. He