1,92 x 2,20 m, Paris, Petit Palais, PPS3351
Although absent from the sculptural field for millennia, the fall of the Second Empire had a significant influence on the representation of war memorials.
Monuments often honored victorious historical figures, while those dedicated to groups of individuals or defeated armies remained rare and uncommon. Their depiction inspired artists to explore new themes in order to pay tribute to the courage of the tens of thousands of soldiers who died for their country.
The advent of the Third Republic fostered the rise of these monuments. The young republic, seeking legitimacy and stability, embraced these heroes to establish an ideal. Certain allegories emerged to carry the most valiant soldiers to the Champ de Mars, as in Antonin Mercié’s Gloria Victis.
Thus, the absence of established models for war memorials gave artists considerable freedom in their compositions, as evidenced by the multitude of versions of the Lion of Belfort. Bartholdi innovated in his vocabulary and symbolism to honor the Belfort inhabitants who died for France.