Guy Lartigue | Sculpting Beauty, Movement & Memory

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Water is and has always been the source of all life. It is where everything springs from, however mighty or insignificant it may seem. Some of the most beautiful things in the history of our planet are because of the bond between hydrogen and oxygen. Few artists can say that water is a muse for them, let alone a medium within their work. Guy Lartigue (1927-2021) defied this notion and conjured some of the most magnificent and ethereal forms with this precious liquid.

^{▲ Guy Lartigue (French, 1927-2021), a fountain (£4,000-6,000)}

Lartigue was born in Paris and trained at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse. Whilst at the academy, he studied under sculptors Jean Souverbie, Emmanuel Auricoste and Ossip Zadkine. His first encounter with using water was in the 1960s, when he was commissioned by the King of Spain to create what would eventually become the Fontaine de la Promenade Larvotto in Monte Carlo. Officially named 'Hommage à la princesse Grace' and constructed from copper, brass and bronze, this monumental work centres around a 12‑metre‑high column with cascading bowls that culminate in a large round basin. Of course, the star of the show is water, which is programmed like a piece of choreography to dance amongst the metal. At night, the fountain is lit up, and the truly magical qualities of the work are revealed.

^{▲ Guy Lartigue (French, 1927-2021), a fountain (£4,000-6,000)}

Each one of Lartigue's fountains could almost be considered a kind of poem to water; they explore its ebb and flow and how it dresses solid sculptural forms such as marble, copper, bronze and granite. This enchanting dialogue between solid and liquid is seen in 'La Bouche de la Vérité' or 'The Mouth of Truth', a piece located in front of the Jussieu campus of the Sorbonne in Paris. Originally, the idea of 'La Bocca della Verità' dates back to the Roman period - you simply had to place your hand inside the mouth, and if it was bitten off, it would reveal you as a liar. Rather than internalising the secrets, Lartigue uses it in his work to expose the hidden water beneath the streets of Paris, acting as a kind of metaphysical portal between the subterranean and the surface, the conscious and the subconscious.¹ It is through these optical illusions that memories can be evoked, and the secrets of a place can be unlocked through water, stone and metal.

^{▲ Guy Lartigue (French, 1927-2021), a fountain (£4,000-6,000)}

Throughout his life and career, Lartigue considered water a 'friend', and constantly sought to find a harmony between it and the physical world around him.² Although fountains were his mainstay, Lartigue also created a monumental tapestry in 1982 from hanging coloured nylon cables from a large inner courtyard wall at Porte de Versailles. Sadly, the wall, along with the work, was destroyed by the owner fifteen years later. The tapestry may have been demolished, but his monumental water sculptures remain, becoming ever permanent in their settings, as if they were always there.

We are pleased to include a water fountain by Guy Lartigue in our 27 October Design sale. This water feature is crafted from patinated brass and features a tiered construction, over a large metal rectangular basin, its scale perfectly formed for an interior water feature.

_{¹Andre Parinaud, https://meublesetlumieres.com/creators/guy-lartigue. Last accessed 6 August 2026.}

_{²Guy Lartigue, https://guylartigue.fr/sculpture-fontaine-paris-odeon-la-sphere-en-tranche-1977/. Last accessed 6 August 2026.}

Tuesday 27 October | 10am

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