Today I am immensely saddened to say goodbye to my great friend Claude Lalanne, who over her long career has, along with her late husband François-Xavier, created a lusciously uninhibited world which was very much her own, and to which she welcomed us all. Claude was a visionary whose imagination seemingly knew no bounds and the sensitivity and sense of humour evident in her works has enamoured all that encounter it. I am very proud to have been entrusted with not only her sculptures but her friendship over the last two decades and my trips to Paris will not be the same without a delicious lunch in Ury with Claude, surrounded by her garden, her animals, her wonderful family and her whimsical ideas realised in gilded bronze. Claude was an unforgettable force and an unforgettable world has been created, and she will be greatly missed. Sending all our love to her family in Ury and beyond.
