Thursday 1 November 2012

How many Statues of Liberty in Paris?

Statue of Liberty on the Island of the swans in Paris
The Statue of Liberty in the Island of the swans ("L'île aux cygnes") in Paris

You certainly know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States.
Of course, you know that the original Statue stands in Liberty Island near Manhattan in New York harbor.
The statue has numerous copies all around the word.

Did you know they are many in Paris?
The most famous is the one on the artificial Island of the Swans (see above), on the river Seine. Of 11.5 meters high, the statue was offered to Paris by the US Parisian community and inaugurated the 4th July 1889. This release in bronze was made from an original plaster model used as a study model.
The statue is now facing west toward New York City*.

Two other models stand in Paris:

  • The one at the "Arts et Métiers" museum (Museum of Arts and Crafts). Dating of 1878, this bronze was made from the "execution model" in plaster at 1/16.

Statue of the Liberty at the "arts et métiers" museum
The statue of Liberty in the "Arts et métiers" museum in Paris

  • Another version of 2.85 m melt in 1889 is in the "Musée d'Orsay" (moved there from the garden of Luxembourg in 2012)

Statue of Liberty in "Musée d'Orsay"
The statue of Liberty in the Orsay museum in Paris

To thank France for the restoration of the statue, an exact replica of the original flame was offered by the American newspaper "International Herald Tribune" to France. This flame commemorates the centenary of the original statue and the Franco-American friendship. The statue was put in "Place de l'Alma" on May 1989:

Replica of the flame of the statue of Liberty - Paris
Replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty - Place de l'Alma, Paris

Here is now three funny representations of the Statue of Liberty:

Small Statue of Liberty on the Centaure created by the artist Cesar
"Le Centaure" created by the artist César - 1985 - Place Michel Debré - (See the small Statue of Liberty)

The statue of Liberty at the entrance of a Parisian restaurant near place Vendome
The Statue of Liberty at the entrance of an American restaurant near place Vendôme - Paris

and a very original one:

The USA buddy bear in the "Champs de Mars"
The USA buddy bear in the "Champ de Mars" Paris until 2012, November 18

How many other Statues of Liberty have you found in Paris?



*A special thought for our American friends recovering from the Hurricane Sandy...

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