The polar bear by François Pompon in Le Jardin Darcy, Dijon, is a plastic copy of the original sculpted in 1922, and has been there since 1937. It was in fact Pompon's friend Henry Martinet who sculpted this, and he mentions how Pompon met the animal sculptor Rouillard, how Pompon sought to work against realism.
François Pompon (1855-1933) was a noted sculptor born in Saulieu who died in Paris. He is noted for his animal figures, particularly for the simplification of their shapes and polished surfaces. There's a museum in Saulieu partly dedicated to his work, and two reproductions of his animals (a bull and the famous polar bear) are on open display in the town: this is a copy of the original bull in Paris, which a nearby notice says is a symbol of Saulieu to travellers and 'Sédélociens' themselves; the polar bear is a plastic recreation of the original plaster version from 1928. Around the town are sculptures of animals by Pascal Masi and Cévé. Unfortunately we didn't have time for the museum.
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