For most people in France, the name Belmondo is associated with Nouvelle Vague actor Jean-Paul Belmodo; that sexy, thick-lipped heart-throb with a distinguished boxer’s nose who shot to stardom in 1960s films like Jean-Luc Godard’s 'A bout de Souffle'. What most of us don’t know is that the actor’s father, Paul Belmondo (1898-1982), was actually one of France’s most important 20th-century sculptors, and many of his works – characterised by harmonious forms, unfussy lines and smooth surfaces – epitomise the 1930s style.
