Saturday 9 April 2011

Paris Eye 10/30 - Think you know your Parisien statues?


Statue 1 - Of whom is this a statue, and why is it located where it is?
A towering figure in the history of France of the 20th C, Charles de Gaulle occupies a magnificent corner on the Champs Elyssee outside the Grand Palais.


Statue 2 - Where is this located and why is it even in Paris?
This is the reproduction of the Statue of Liberty that stands at the end of the Allée de Cygnes in the middle of La Seine just down from La Tour Eiffel. It was donated by the French people of the United States in 1986.


Statue 3 - I always confuse this chap with another little chap from Wales. Who is this statue of and where is it located?
Georges Clemenceau who led France during WW1. The statue is on the AdCE outside the Petit Palais. I like it very much - makes him very human.


Statue 4 - Not a Frenchman so why is his statue in Paris? Where abouts exactly?
Winston Churchill's statue stands in the grounds of the Petit Palais. He was instrumental in the fight-back against Hitler's invasion of France during WW2. Amazing how I feel the need to express this carefully.

20 comments:

freefalling said...

statue 1 - dunno
statue 2 - dunno
statue 3 - dunno (but I like his jaunty scarf)
statue 4 - dunno
I'm nothing if not consistent.

Julie said...

Yeah I like the scarf too ... the isadora duncan look ... you're just being coy and letting others have a guess first ...

brattcat said...

Yes, I'll take the same plea as freefalling. I haven't a clue who any of these are, nor where they are, nor why they are there, but Julie, they are pretty fabulous shots which can be appreciated even in a state of utter ignorance.

Luis Gomez said...

Don't know Paris and its statues that well but your pictures are truly beautiful Julie.

freefalling said...

Statue 3 - Tom Jones?

Joe said...

They were all with Mr Green in the library with the dagger?

Peter said...

Statue 2: Lady Liberty by designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata [a tablet evoking the law] upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an iconic symbol of freedom and of the United States. In the American version the struts to keep the statue up was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Yes, the same one that build a 'temporary' tower for the Paris World Fair.

Location: Pont de l'Alma

Valladolid Daily Photo said...

Incredible pictures, I really love all of them.

Julie said...

Letty - the welsh connection? My statue has a scarf around his neck, not knickers on his head! My welsh man was Davyd Lloyd-George.

Joe - to rephrase the three remaining in your terms, I could say 'avec Monsieur Le Presidente dans le Palais avec le peace-treaty' ... or some such.

I will identify them, of course, when I put tomorrow's post up.

Joan Elizabeth said...

No idea who amy of them are.

Dianne said...

I'm with Joan Elizabeth - absolutely no idea - will check back tomorrow!

Thérèse said...

Peter is stealing the show! lol
I have no idea for the others I must admit...

Anonymous said...

No idea, but will be checking back for the answers :)

Peter said...

@Thérèse, thank you! here's another one or two...

Statue #3 Georges Clemenceau
Location: Place Clemenceau, corner of Avenue des Champs-Elysées

Statue #4 Winston Churchill.
Location: Petit Palais in Paris.

Julie said...

Excellent, Peter. Tick and tick. Which just leaves the first statue. What if I crossed over from Clemenceau .. not over AdCE ... but from Petit Palais to Grand Palais ...

Peter said...

Thanks Julie! Walking the streets with Google street-viewer.

Statue #1 is Charles De Gaulle Location: Avenue de Marigny

Julie said...

Hah! Big grin ... that is how I work things out too ... Bravo ...

Shall put CdG up now too.

Peter said...

Julie, I only walked the [Google] Paris streets on the last one.
I recognised #2 by the tablet and have seen the statue some 20 years ago when I was last in Paris. #3 and 4 by searching 20th century sculpture in Paris again with Google Pictures.

Julie said...

The sculptures of De Gaulle, Clemenceau and Churchill are unlike any that I know of in Sydney, in that they have extraordinary 'texture' to them. The appealing aspect of the Clemenceau statue is that it is snuggled into the greenery and he is not posed to increase his 'power'. CdG is power personified, and not a real person at all. Churchill is just his bull-dog stereotype. I think I should probably shut up now ...

Joan Elizabeth said...

I thought the last one might be Churchill but was too shy to suggest it at the time.