ABOUT THE ARTWORK - Colour lithograph by César Baldaccini. - In good condition. Small damp stains on the paper. - Part of the artistic series 'compressions' ABOUT THE ARTIST César was was a French scultpto at the forefront of the Nouveau Réalisme movement with his radical compressions (compacted automobiles, discarded metal, or rubbish), expansions (polyurethane foam sculptures), and fantastic representations of animals and insects. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and later in Paris, where he developed a strong foundation in traditional sculpture before moving toward more radical experimentation. César became internationally recognized in the 1960s as a leading figure of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, alongside artists such as Yves Klein and Arman. He was particularly famous for his Compressions—sculptures made from crushed automobiles and scrap metal—challenging conventional ideas of art by transforming industrial waste into striking works. Later, he expanded his creativity with Expansions, works made by pouring liquid polyurethane, and Human Imprints, casts of body parts. César’s originality earned him major acclaim, including the prestigious Praemium Imperiale in 1993. Today, his legacy lives on not only in museums worldwide but also in the César Award, France’s equivalent of the Oscars.