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Niki de Saint Phalle: Mythology

Current exhibition
6 June - 26 July 2025 Temple, St-Honoré
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation, L'Arbre-serpents, 1988

Niki de Saint Phalle Foundation

L'Arbre-serpents, 1988
Miroir, peinture à base d'uréthane et feuille d'or sur PRF et ciment
H 270 x 320 x 230 cm
H 106 1/4 x 126 x 90 1/2 in
Unique
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%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3ENiki%20de%20Saint%20Phalle%20Foundation%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EL%27Arbre-serpents%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E1988%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EMiroir%2C%20peinture%20%C3%A0%20base%20d%27ur%C3%A9thane%20et%20feuille%20d%27or%20sur%20PRF%20et%20ciment%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3EH%20270%20x%20320%20x%20230%20cm%3Cbr/%3E%0AH%20106%201/4%20x%20126%20x%2090%201/2%20in%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22edition_details%22%3EUnique%3C/div%3E

Further images

  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 1 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 2 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 3 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 4 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 5 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 6 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 7 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 8 ) Niki de Saint Phalle, Oiseau amoureux, 1972-1992
Jana Shenefield - NCAF (August 2023) : From a Galerie Bonnier file It’s noted that there are 3 mosaic Arbre Serpents at 260 cm height, each different. 260 cm mosaic...
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Jana Shenefield - NCAF (August 2023) :

From a Galerie Bonnier file It’s noted that there are 3 mosaic Arbre Serpents at 260 cm height, each different.

260 cm mosaic

1 collection Haligon which was exhibited at the Grand Palais 2014, dated 1987-1989

1 collection NCAF which has been travelled through European and US exhibitions, dated 1987 - 2004

1 collection Niki Museum Nasu, dated 1987-1988

The one in Haligon collection and NCAF’s are very similar, if not identical in color because NCAf’s was finished post-humously, or at least it was “discovered” posthumously in PML workshop where he had worked on it.

It makes sense that the Niki Museum sculpture is all mirrored mosaic when you look at all the sculptures Niki those years….bedazzling new sculptures and old models with mirror, almost as if she was trying out the effect for the Cyclops on a larger scale perhaps? Marcelo would probably be much better to give you insight since he was around.

I have it on record that Galerie Bonnier purchased the silver-mirrored Serpent Tree and they sold it to Yoko Masuda. That’s database records. The Runnqvists were very specific with their records. I believe them to be true. That said, I do not have documentation on this.

I do not have that it was shown before it went to the Niki Museum.

Anyhow, for the count, there are

Four 260m polyester serpent trees as you said, all painted the same, and should be equipped as a fountain. I have them all as 1992 or 1993. There’s not really a way to pinpoint when exactly they each were finished

1 Benesse Corporation, Japan

1 Jeffrey Loria

1 private collection Germany

1 Musé d’Angers, France

I do not have high-re images of these. I pull them off the internet myself when I find them for reference.

And there is 1 mosaic Serpent Tree at 520 cm height from 1988 in collection NCAF. It is not at the Waterfront Park in San Diego anymore. If you are up for selling it, the Trustees are ready.

L’arbre de vie / Tree of Life at the Tarot Garden is on record as having been done 1982 - 1985."

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