“Les Funerailles de Blanche Neige” - Sculpture Collaboration

“Les funerailles de Blanche Neige” collaboration by Lacombe & Martinez

This doll is a very special collaboration by Benjamin Lacombe and doll maker Julien Martinez based on Mr. Lacombe's Blanche Neige designs from his beautifully illustrated picture book. It's currently in a gallery showing with other works by Lacombe and other doll collaborations with Mr. Martinez in Paris. Lacombe calls it his most personal work and exhibition to date.

From Mr. Lacombe's blog:

It is called "Memories", like my souvenirs. Memories also served to define the mortuary photographs, the last memories of the dead in the early twentieth century.

In the first room, we can then see about twenty of these pieces there, made expressly for this exhibition, they are shorthand with curtains, bells and even a stained glass window!  In the other room will be made forty illustrations from my recent books (Rossignol, Snow White, The Herbarium of the Fairies and Notre Dame de Paris), as an echo. 

Madame Butterfly collaboration by Lacombe & Martinez

Working on this show helped me understand many things about me, about the origin of certain graphics and thematic obsessions.

You will also find all 5 volumes in collaboration with the great Julian Martinez , one presented together for the first time! It was a lot of work started long time ago. It was better because each of 5 dolls need sixty hours of work!

There's a lot more information on the exhibition HERE, along with the address and contact details for the show. 

You can see many more of Julien Martinez's doll sculptures HERE.

Here's the illustration of Blanche Neige/Snow White in her coffin from the book as comparison. You can see what a beautiful job they've both done for this exhibition. My only wish is that the doll had a lighter background like in the illustration but perhaps it fits better with the tone of the show which seems rather somber and reflective.

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