Claude Lalanne (1925-2019), La Diva , 1997, bronze and copper sculpture, monogrammed, dated and numbered 6/8, Lalanne stamp, 22x15.5x10.5 cm Provenance: Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, 13.12.1999 Claude Lalanne (1925-2019), La Diva, 1997 A key figure in contemporary art, Claude Lalanne, wife of François-Xavier Lalanne, created a deeply singular body of work, somewhere between sculpture, nature and surrealism. Her approach combines formal refinement and technical invention, particularly through electroplating, an electrochemical process she uses to transpose living elements into metal, mainly copper and bronze, with remarkable precision. In this way, she gives natural forms an unprecedented sculptural presence, combining fidelity of detail with silent poetry. La Diva, created in 1997, is a perfect illustration of this. A delicately modelled mouse stands on a box, crossing a large fan that evokes a theatre stage or a miniature opera set. The contrast between the meticulous realism of the animal and the unexpected staging gives the work an evocative power that is both dreamlike and humorous. The mastery of the materials and the precision of the volumes underline the discreet, surreal elegance of this composition. Limited to just eight pieces, La Diva is a rare sculpture, emblematic of Claude Lalanne's art: a world in which nature is staged with lightness and irony, in a subtle balance between observation of reality and poetic invention.