With his compressions, his sculptures in wrought iron, his giant digits and his expansions, César blew apart the bedrock of classical sculpture and laid the foundations of a modern and spectacular kind of art that is firmly anchored in its time. A brilliant and radical craftsman, adored by the media and snubbed by his peers, the creator of France's annual film awards' trophy ; that bears his name ; even stated that the artist's hand was no longer necessary to create works of art.