9.1.09

Statues - Tuileries Gardens (1)


The Tuileries Gardens have been where they are since the 16th century. Until then you could here find a quarry for tiles (« tuileries » in French). Originally it was the garden park of the Tuileries Palace, built for Catherine de Medicis. The Palace was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune in 1871 and a bit later completely dismantled. (You can find pieces of the Palace at some places in Paris – see previous post.)
The Gardens were rather immediately – as the first one in Paris – opened to public. They were redesigned by Le Nôtre (1664), Louis XIV’s major gardener (Versailles...), and have still more or less kept his design. They make today the junction between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde and were also the beginning of the “Historical Axis” (later completed via the Champs Elysées, the Arch of Triumph etc.). I plan to revert with a post about the Tuileries Gardens later this year, when the season makes them look nicer; leaves on the trees, flowers...). Today – and in a coming post – I will concentrate on the statues in the Gardens.

There are more than hundred of them, including a large number of white marble statues, a majority from the 19th century, but some are older (17th, 18th century). A few are moulded and the originals can be found at the Louvre or elsewhere. Among the better known artists you can notice G. Coustou and his uncle A. Coysevox who made the statue you can see on the top picture: “Fame of Louis XIV” which dates from 1702 and was placed here in 1719 (removed from the Marly Castle).

Among the older statues there are also a few in bronze from the 19th century (A. Carles – “Return from hunting” - and A.N. Cain)... ... and also four by Auguste Rodin, including a bronze version of the famous “Kiss”, placed just in front to the “Orangerie” building. (Marble version at the Rodin museum – see previous post.)
There are also a number of more modern statues and sculptures. I will revert on this on Monday.

... in the meantime, I wish you a nice weekend!

(I got a request to see the individual photos on my previous "snow post". I have put them "in full" and as a slideshow on Ipernity.)

41 comments:

Mona said...

wow! Statues always make me wonder at the patience of the sculptors! These are so beautiful!

France & Europe does have a lot of Cultural Heritage!

Karen said...

Peter, you must have worked so hard to take all of these photos. I walked through the gardens so many times and only saw some of these.

I will find the others on my next visit.

Neva said...

I love statues and some of these are amazing....the bronze are very nice. I did mention I had no camera when I was in Paris? shocking, I know....next time I will have my camera at the ready...have a good weekend.

Olivier said...

au Tuilerie, on a l'impression de se promener dans un musée...impressionnant travail de photographe avec toutes ces photos des statues

feasting-on-pixels (terrie) said...

Lovely collection of the statues in my fave Jardin.

lyliane six said...

Elles sont toutes belles et bien en chair ces dames, ça me console!Les messieurs ne sont pas mal non plus!
Ce sont de magnifiques œuvres.

Adam said...

Wow! We cannot call this blog a hobby but more a true full-time job! You have captured all of these statues brilliantly, and the before/after shot is very revealing.

I have to say though that this is not one of my favourite places in the city. Like the Luxumbourg gardens, it's too open and cold in the winter and too dry and dusty in the summer. The chairs are iconic of course, but there never seems to be one available!

claude said...

Devant tant de beautés, on ne peut pas rester de marbre ! C'est simplement magnifique !
J'aima bien la comparaison des jardins, pas beaucoup de changement à part des arbres qui ont disparus au premier plan.
Toutes ces statues sont plus belles les une que les autres .

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Thanks for the insights Peter! Splendid pictures! Have a good weekend!

Cergie said...

Tu es toujours aussi exhaustif, Peter ; rien ne t'échappe. 4 Rodin, magnifique ! (Le baiser... Il y a aussi les bourgeois de Calais à Londres)
Alain a posté juste la statue de Flore.
La faune de ce jardin (pigeons canards) lui apporte de la vie. Sa flore est traitée d'une façon particulière aussi très Chaumont sur Loire.
j'aime beaucoup ce coin, le Louvre, le Marais, et traverser la Seine vers Orsay...
(Et les pipirooms près du rempart, not so bad)

Ruth said...

After a long day walking Paris, this is the place I like to go sit. I always relate to the guy statue: second row, second from right in the white group. He looks so weary. But I don't relate to another one of a woman on her side looking like she's doing leg lifts.

I did not know tuileries meant tiles. :|

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Dear Peter,
Its a pleasure to see your blog en read the information, I love the statue-collage, Paris is fantastic....

Thanks for your best wishes for my mom I really am very nervous right now she is in the OR.

I'll be back but first things first,
JoAnn ?Holland

Maxime said...

la meilleure vue sur les jardins, c'est manifestement depuis le sommet de l'obélisque !
Mais la collection de statues est étonnante. J'ai traversé quelquefois le jardin, et je n'avais pas réalisé qu'il y en eut autant, et de tant de sortes (et les plus court vêtures doivent attendre avec impatience le printemps !).
Bon week-end !

Michelle said...

Those are amazing pictures of all those statues. It looks like it was alot of work. Thanks for always taking me on a tour of Paris, or other beautiful places in Europe. :)

alice said...

As-tu repensé à cette pétition contre la boite de conserve géante et rouillée qui nous bouche la vue à l'entrée du jardin? Je signe des deux mains! En attendant, bon week end!

Ruth said...

Thanks for your comment about the little learning girl on my sidebar. She is from a 1920s World Book Encyclopedia that my Grandma Olive illustrated. Since the many illustrators didn't sign their work, I can't be certain it's hers, but I pretend it is. She looks like my mother did at that age, big bow and all.

Unknown said...

What a fantastic collection of statues! Some are absolutely fabulous! I especially like the hunting bronze ones. Great work, Peter!

Everytime Tuileries is mentioned I immediatly think of the siege and, of course, headless Antoinette... I can't help it! :-)

Azer Mantessa said...

massive park with lotsa interesting sculptures. lotsa credits to the artists with lotsa passion and patient.

the third picture from above is interesting. seems the park is well preserved.

PeterParis said...

MPona:
... like India!

Karen:
I'm sure you will!

Neva:
Iguess you were not yet a blogger? :-)

PeterParis said...

Olivier:
... et ce n'est pas encore fini! :-)

Terrie:
I'm happy I found your favourite garden!

Lyliane:
Il faut regarder ces statues comme des ouevres d'art! Rien d'autre! :-)

PeterParis said...

Adam:
Comparing with what you do during your "lunch hours", what I do is hardly significant!

It's true that you can find some smaller and even nicer parks - perhaps with less statues!

Claude:
Bravo pour le "marbre"!! :-))

Rakesh:
The same to you!

PeterParis said...

Cergie:
Je vais vérifier les pipirooms la prochaine fois! :-)

Ruth:
I wonder which sculptures you are referring to? I thought I had got them all! :-)

JoAnn:
Yes, I agree, Paris is fantastic!

PeterParis said...

Maxime:
Qu'est qu'il ne faut pas faire pour avaoir une bonne photo! :-))

Bon week-end à toi aussi!

Michelle:
It's a pleasure!

Alice:
J'en parle lundi!

PeterParis said...

Ruth:
Thanks for this info! The little girl is really nice!

JM:
Yes, poor Maire-Antoinette!

Azer:
Yes, the park is very similar to what it was som 350 years ago!

sonia a. mascaro said...

What a great photos of statues and sculptures!

Have a nice weekend as well!

Anonymous said...

Astonishing, hardly to believe that there are so many of them.

krystyna said...

Amazing statues and amazing photos!

I like so much to visit Ipernity,
but I missed Peter's Paris-photo too.

Have a great weekend!

Virginia said...

Peter where is my favorite, "l'ami de personne" by Eric Deitman, your Swedish sculptor??? Alas, he is behind a fence in the area that looks to be under some kind of renovation, close to the rue de RIvoli. I'll email you a photo so you can look him up!

Love the sculpture of course because Tuileries is a favorite of mine. Nice job of capturing them as always.
You have been very busy!
V

PeterParis said...

Sonia:
Thanks for your always kind comments!
I trust that the "pausa" on your own blog soon is over!

April:
... and I'm afraid I may have missed one or two!

Krystyna:
Thanks for visiting Ipernity (not so many do, I believe)!

PeterParis said...

Virginia:
Thanks for reminding me about the name..., but the sculpture is well there and will be on my post tomorrow with the more modern sculptures! Thanks anyhow!! :-)

Anonymous said...

So much beautiful sculpture, Peter. I don't know how you have the time to get around to all these places and take all of these photos. Do you employ several helpers?

Cutie said...

Wow, that's a lot of statues. Really interesting. Anyway, I miss the post below. And Paris is beautiful when there is snow. I miss snow. It must be heaven to live in such a beautiful country.

Shammickite said...

Brilliant pictures of the statues. I think it would be wonderful to be a sculptor and have my work displayed in a park or a garden where the public can admire my creation. Sadly, I have no talent!
The birds are certainly taking advantage of the sculptor's work!

PeterParis said...

Abraham:
No help, except for some photos by invited guest stars like Virginia or Karen!

Cutie:
Yes, somehow it's a pity that I took theswe photos just before the snow fall!

Shammickite:
Are you sure that you haven't the necessary talent? :-)

CeciliaGallerani said...

Overwhelming! I love that first shot. What a wealth of art Paris has just outdoors.

Ruth said...

Peter, I will email you the one that looks like she is doing exercises. You can tell me if I missed it here!

PeterParis said...

mkhansen:
Yes, better no try to translate into $!

Ruth:
Thanks Ruth, that's kind, but you will find it on the following post!

Claudia said...

Beautiful and thorough!

PeterParis said...

Claudia:
Thanks!

Parislove said...

Hey Peter,
Impressive piece of blogging !
Do you happen to know anything about the statue that's in your first picture, at the bottom on the left ? It's a man who's about to hit another man on the head with a stick, it seems. The head is a horse's head.

I'd be happy if you would know the name of the sculptor, perhaps the statue's name itself ? It would help me a lot !

Thanks in advance

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