There’s no denying the genius and magnetic appeal of sculptors like Frederic Remington, the American master, and Rembrandt Bugatti, the Italian prodigy (brother to Ettore, another prodigy), but what about French couple Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne?

The husband and wife duo produced their most prolific work during the 1960s and ‘70s when sculpture wasn’t, well, as refined or regarded as it was at the turn of the 20th Century. Considered silly and obtuse (and plain ugly) by many, their art has withstood the test of time to prove just what virtuosos the pair really was. Perhaps more interesting is their relationship as a couple – meeting young at a gallery exhibition, intertwining their lives forever through marriage and art, working jointly but independently (Francois-Xavier preferred sculpting fauna while Claude preferred flora) and never tiring of each other’s inspiration.

Different parts Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Surrealism, glimpses of Mucha, Erté and Dalí can be seen in their art but the result is purely and undeniably Lalanne.