A must-see
article | Reading time5 min
Bronze bas-reliefs and stone statues: discover the wealth of sculpted decoration on the Grande Armée column!
An iconographic programme
As soon as you enter the site, opposite the golden eagles surmounting the gate, the motifs of the sculpted decor reflect all the codes of Napoleonic discourse at work on the Grande Armée column. Although the successive statues at the top of the column correspond to different periods in French history, it is Napoleon's power that is given pride of place on the bronze reliefs and in the iconographic programme.
© Philippe Berthé / Centre des monuments nationaux
Sculpture at the service of Napoleonic symbolism
A monument to the emperor, the Grande Armée column is also a commemorative monument celebrating the ceremony at which the Legion of Honour was awarded on 16 August 1804. This day is represented by a bronze relief on one side of the pedestal, surrounded by the attributes of the imperial armies: ships, cannons, sabres, etc.
©Alexandre Pouliguen / Centre des monuments nationaux
The second bronze relief immortalises the moment when Marshal Soult informs Napoleon of the soldiers' wish to erect this column at their own expense, as shown on a plan submitted to the Emperor. In the background, the barracks of the Boulogne camp show the power of the imperial armies, and resonate with all the stone bas-reliefs that evoke the Egyptian campaigns : obelisk, sphinx, crocodile and boats recall Napoleon's past military victories as leader of the armies!
Come and discover this rich sculpted decoration and try to decipher all the symbols: bee, cross, lion, eagle...
© Benjamin Gavaudo / Centre des monuments nationaux