It’s a new week and a new episode of Paris History avec a Hemingway on La Vie Creative and today we share even more of the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg. Created by Marie de Medicis after the death of her husband Henri IV on May 14, 1610, to remind her of her childhood growing up in Florence. The garden oasis we know today was expanded greatly by Louis-Philippe in 1848 along with a vast majority of the 107 statues.
You can spend an entire day wandering through the nooks and crannies discovering many of the great artists, authors, and men and women that added to the culture of France. With something for every member of the family including a historic carousel.
In 1879 the oldest carousel appeared here in the garden and was designed by none other than Charles Garnier. The master of the 2nd Empire stunning Palais Garnier lent his expertise to this special feature of the garden. Sadly, it doesn’t have the same gilded gold touches but it is still to visit.
Built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1879 and was for adults until the 1920s
La Poete by Zaskine
Added in 1991 and represents the work of poet Paul Eluard. The Musée Ossip Zadkine is nearby at 100 Rue d’Assas in his former home and atelier. Free entrance
La Comtesse de Segur by Jean Boucher
Comtesse de Suger was from Russia and married Eugene Raymond, Count of Segur. At 50 years old she began to write stories for her grandchildren that were later published in children's books
Antoine Watteau by Henri Desire Gauquié
Commissioned and paid for by fans of the artist. The baroque & Rococo painter was known for creating the Fetes Galantes under Louis XIV including one of his most famous pieces, Pilgrimage to Cythera which also inspired Debussy to write L’Isle Joyeuse in 1904. The woman in the monument was also Gauquié depiction of one of the women in the same painting.
Charles Baudelaire by Pierre Félix Masseau 1933
The poet and writer of the Romantic movement and writer of Flowers of Evil let quite an interesting life and lived all over Paris. Be sure to listen to the La Vie Creative - Paris History Avec a Hemingway episode all about Jeanne Duval premiering June 7 all about the life of the muse of Baudelaire
Nubian Lion by Auguste Cain 1870
The once largest lion in the world that is now extinct is captured by Cain standing over Ostrich. Cain would study animals in the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes, much like Delacroix and Barye also did. The three are masters at capturing animals on canvas and in bronze
Herd of Deer by Arthur Jacques LeDuc 1891
The two fawns look as if they have heard something, maybe it’s the lion
Pierre Mendès France by Pierre Peignot 1943
Politician and former prime minister helped to build the path to form the European Union
Fred Le Play by Pierre Guillaume Frederic Altar 1906
Engineer and economist under Napoleon III. The artist Altar also did many statues and bas-reliefs on the many buildings in Paris. The Sorbonne, College de France, and the statues of Jean Bullant & Jean Goujon on the Hotel de Ville.
The statue of Le Play was installed in 1906, on what would be his 100th birthday and was removed in October 1941 as many were in Paris by the Nazis and the Vichy government. In 1945 it was discovered in a foundry, one of the very few that survived the war. It was returned here in 1947
Le Marchand de Masques by Zacharie Astruc 1883
The young mask seller is holding up the mask of Victor Hugo and around the base are the masks of authors Balzac, Jules Barber d’Aurevilly, and Alexandre Duma. Artists Delacroix, Jean Baptiste Corot, and Jean Baptiste Carpeaux, opera singer Jean Baptiste Faure and composer Hector Berlioz. Originally three masks hung from his hand that have been missing for some time. They represented politician Leon Gambetta, composer Charles Francois Gounod, and author Theodore de Banville.
Le Cri, l’Ecrit by Fabrice Hyber 2007
To commemorate the abolition of the slave trade. Veins represent pain and the words are from the Senate’s bill abolishing slavery. The top link represents the abolishment of slavery. The middle is the fear of modern-day slavery or entrapment and the bottle going into the ground represents going back to its roots
Velleda by Hippolyte Maindron 1839
Inspired by the Martyrs by Chateaubriand and the description of the young girl in a short dress that was sent to prison and fell in love with her jailer. He released her but she would return every day waiting outside next to a tree.
Stendhal by Rodin
Stone monument by Charles Plumet, the bronze medallion was designed by David d’Angers and carried out by Rodin. Henry Beyle, who went by Stendhal, was a writer who loved music and poetry.
George Sand by Francois Leon Sicard 1904
The plaster model was placed here in 1904 until the final piece was ready. Capturing the famed French writer in a dress that she actually wore quite frequently. While she is known for dressing in men’s clothes she actually wore dresses quite frequently. For more on the celebrated author listen to our episode about her
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