Art & Architecture
article | Reading time3 min
Rediscover the history of the Arc de triomphe through its great figures !
a testimony to the history of France and its struggles
The Arc de Triomphe, an emblematic monument in Paris, is a highly symbolic place of remembrance in the French heritage landscape. Built between 1806 and 1836 to commemorate the victories of all the French armies, this monumental arch is a symbol of military glory and national unity.
Immerse yourself in the Arc de Triomphe collections !
Find out more about the collections of the Centre des monuments nationaux.
Jean-Christophe Ballot / Centre des monuments nationaux
3 works, 3 great figures
This plaster cast, created by Charles Edouard Pouzadoux in the moulding workshops of the Musée des Monuments français in 1898, is overmoulded on the bust of the "Génie de la Patrie" known as "La Marseillaise", kept in the museum. It is a fragment of the high relief "Le départ des volontaires" by François Rude, located on the north-east pillar of the Arch.
Find out more on the Collectio website.
© Benjamin Gavaudo / Centre des monuments nationaux
This oil on canvas is a sketch by Guillaume Dubufe entitled "La Trinité poétique Alfred de Musset, Victor Hugo et Alphonse de Lamartine" exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français in 1888. The final work was used to decorate the French Pavilion at the Universal Exhibition in Saint-Louis in the United States in 1904. The work depicts Victor Hugo 's
beneath the Arc de Triomphe, greeted by a swarm of musical angels, one of whom holds out a tricolour flag.
Find out more on the Collectio website.
© Patrick Cadet / Centre des monuments nationaux