Hand holding a pencil

The "Hand with a Pencil" is a monumental sculpture by François-Xavier Lalanne, located on the Rampe des Jardins, at the entrance to the Jardin Vert in Angoulême. It is part of a collection of the artist’s works installed in this public space, creating an artistic trail through the heart of the city.

History

The sculpture was installed as part of Angoulême’s initiative to promote its artistic heritage. Recognized as the French capital of comic books and a UNESCO Creative City, Angoulême sought to integrate contemporary artworks into its urban landscape to strengthen the dialogue between historical heritage and contemporary creation. “The Hand with a Pencil” has thus become a symbol of the city, evoking the artist’s gesture and creative freedom.

Conceived as early as 1979 as part of the Ensemble-491 urban planning project, designed to redevelop the pedestrian zone and Place Saint-Martial in Angoulême, the work was created and installed in a public space in 1981.
When the square was redesigned in 2000, it was moved—along with two other sculptures by François-Xavier Lalanne, “Oiseau Lalanne" and “Main ouverte sur libre", to the Jardin Vert (Mallet Park), where they remain today.
The models and preparatory studies for the project are now preserved in the collections of the National Center for the Visual Arts (CNAP).

Architecture and Composition

The work is cast in bronze and depicts a monumental hand holding a pencil. Its style is realistic, but its scaled-up size lends it a monumental and symbolic dimension.

Artistically, several features stand out:

• a faithful representation of the hand’s anatomy;
• a disproportionately large pencil that becomes the central element of the composition;
• simple, clean lines, characteristic of François-Xavier Lalanne’s style;
• a harmonious integration into the landscape of the Jardin Vert, thanks to a placement that allows the sculpture to interact with the surrounding vegetation.

Heritage

The “Hand with Pencil” holds significant heritage value, as it combines several dimensions:

• Artistic heritage, as the work of a major 20th-century sculptor known for creations that blend sculpture, poetry, and design.
• Cultural heritage, as it celebrates drawing, writing, and comic books—elements that are integral to Angoulême’s identity.
• Urban heritage, as it contributes to the landscaping of the Jardin Vert and the Rampe des Jardins, offering residents and visitors an open-air museum.

Symbolic

The hand is the artist’s primary tool. When holding a pencil, it represents:

• the act of drawing;
• the transmission of knowledge and culture;
• imagination and creativity;
• Angoulême’s identity as a city of books, images, and comics.

This symbolism is particularly relevant in a city that hosts the International Comics Festival every year and is home to the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image.

The “Hand with a Pencil” is now one of the iconic contemporary works in Angoulême’s public heritage. Through its simple and universal language, it bridges the gap between art, urban space, and the city’s cultural identity, while inviting visitors to reflect on the role of drawing as a means of expression and creation.