\n Mr Le Blanc, whose bronze works have greeted guests at the world\u2011famous Oxfordshire restaurant for decades, died peacefully at home earlier this year surrounded by family and friends.\n<\/p>\n
\n The 85-year-old became closely associated with Le Manoir after chef patron Raymond Blanc commissioned a series of large\u2011scale pieces for the hotel and its gardens.\n<\/p>\n
\n This helped to shape the look and feel of the Great Milton estate as it evolved into one of Britain\u2019s most celebrated country house restaurants.\n<\/p>\n
\n READ MORE: Goodbye to Le Manoir: A final stay before iconic hotel and restaurant closes<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Le Manoir is currently closed temporarily for major refurbishments with a reopening date set for summer 2027.\n<\/p>\n \n Among his most recognisable works is the three-and-a-half-metre bronze \u201cArtichokes\u201d sculpture, which towers over the car park and has become a landmark for guests arriving at Le Manoir.\n<\/p>\n \n Mr Le Blanc also created other pieces that punctuate the grounds, including works in the vegetable garden and within the wider sculpture trail, many of them produced at his bronze foundry in Saxby and installed in close collaboration with Mr Blanc.\n<\/p>\n \n Le Blanc Fine Art, the family foundry, also marked his passing with a moving public statement about his legacy and the future of the workshop.\n<\/p>\n