Jean-Michel Folon has left an extraordinary eclectic legacy in the history of art . Though his artistic style always maintained the core discipline he created , that same style found expression in many media . Folon the artist , inquisitive , is simultaneously painter , engraver , sculptor and illustrator of great literary works . His art is plentiful in its diversity : he captures light , a “ light smuggler ” in the craft of stained glass , created theatre sets and animated films including the credits for the several famous cult series of the French « Antenne 2 » TV channel .

Folon made murals including Magic City for the Brussels subway and in Waterloo Station for the London tube , posters for theatre , festivals , opera and cinema (« The Purple Rose of Cairo », by Woody Allen , 1985 ; « The Stalker », by Andrey Tarkovsky , 1979 ), theatre and opera scenery , short films for TV , tapestries ( Congress Hall of Monaco , 1989 ), ships and interestingly in 1999 a flag for the traditional Palio horse race in Siena , Italy . When Steve Jobs had an idea to put inside Apple computers a funny little man who appears , waves at users and quickly disappears , it was Folon who drew Mr . Macintosh ( in fedora hat and macintosh raincoat ) for Apple in 1983 .

Jean-Michel was also an actor whose filmography includes several movies . In 1981

Jean-Michel Folon . Une colombe . Bronze , 1997 .

he played the main male role in the psychological drama « The Naked Love » by Yannick Bellon .

Folon ’ s artistic talent was recognized by several exhibitions organized in the most famous galleries and museums in the world . Everyone wanted to display his work . Just as an example :

• Musée des Arts Décoratifs , Paris , 1971 ;

• Arts Club of Chicago , 1972 ;

• Musée Picasso , Antibes , 1984 ;

• Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York , 1990 ;

• La Pedrera , Barcelona , 1993 ;

• Bunkamura Museum , Tokyo , 1995 ;

• Olympic Museum , Lausanne , 1996 .

He also created a famous piece of television that was screened in France for almost 30 years . In 2003 , the President of the French Republic , Jacques Chirac , awarded Folon the Legion of Honour in the Palais d ’ Elysée .

NOWADAYS , WE STILL ADMIRE FOLON ’ S WONDERFUL « LA FONTAINE AUX OISEAUX » ( BIRD FOUNTAIN ) IN MONACO-VILLE , ONE OF THE MOST TOUCHING SCULPTURES IN THE PRINCIPALITY .

Jean-Michel Folon ’ s studio . A little statuette on Jean-Michel Folon ’ s table .

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Hello Monaco #10 Winter 2020–2021 | Page 82