By François Pompon
Located in St. Louis, MO
An elegant and highly tactile contemporary bronze sculpture of a big cat (leopard/jaguar) by acclaimed Santa Fe artist and sculptor Michael Tatom. This piece showcases Tatom’s signature style: stripping away unnecessary detail to celebrate the animal's fluid grace, muscular arch, and elegant contours. The bronze is finished in a specialized, multi-toned spotted patina that brilliantly captures the organic rosettes of a wild feline body. This is a rare, small-scale masterwork that is rich with documentation. The sculpture is incised with the artist's signature on its tail. The underside of the paws feature complete markings, including the limited edition number 197/250 on one foot, and the initials SF NM on another, certifying its origin and casting in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Measuring a refined 3.19 inches in width, this desktop bronze has a wonderful, heavy hand-feel and serves as a sophisticated addition to any collection of contemporary Western art or wildlife sculpture. The sculpture is in pristine gallery condition, completely free of scratches, surface loss, or alterations to its original hand-applied patina.
From the Estate of Joan Conway Crancer, daughter of the famous St. Louis painter Fred Conway, and was a passionate art collector, included in her collection were Calder Sculptures, Max Beckman paintings and Roman antiquities. She was actively involved with the Saint Louis Art Museum, where she served for many years as Museum Trustee and member of the Acquisition Committee, and remained Honorary Trustee for the rest of her life. Together with her husband, they endowed a gallery at the museum, named for Alice and Fred Conway, her parents.
Place of Origin: Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Period: Late 20th / Early 21st Century (Contemporary)
Materials: Cast Bronze
Subject: Stylized Cat / Leopard / Jaguar
Inscriptions / Marks: Signed on tail ("Tatom"); Numbered "197/250" under foot; Inscribed "SF NM" under foot.
Fine Art Sculpture
Santa Fe School / New Mexico Art
Organic Modernism
Abstract Wildlife Art
François Pompon Style, Minimalist Animalier, Modernist Big Cat, Contemporary Western Fine Art, Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe Bronze...
Category
Early 2000s Modern North American Decorative Objects