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Monument to the Glory of Émile Levassor

The Monument to the Glory of Émile Levassor (French: Monument à la gloire d'Émile Levassor), also known as The Triumph of Levassor (French: Le Triomphe de Levassor), is a sculpture in Paris, France, placed in the Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, within the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It is dedicated to Émile Levassor, an engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France, and commorated him crossing the finish line first in the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, which is sometimes considered the first automotive race in history. It was designed Jules Dalou and Camille Lefèvre, and unveiled on 26 November 1907, at the entrance to Boulogne Woodland park. In 1972 it was moved to its current location.

Monument to the Glory of Émile Levassor
The monument in 2013.
Map
48°52′36″N 2°16′49″E / 48.876628°N 2.280338°E / 48.876628; 2.280338
LocationAlexandre and René Parodi Square, 16th arrondissement, Paris, France
Designer
TypeMonument
MaterialBronze
Opening date26 November 1907
Dedicated toÉmile Levassor

History

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Émile Levassor and Louise Sarazin-Levassor at the start of the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris.
 
The monument in the 1900s.

The monument was dedicated to Émile Levassor, an engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France, and commorated him crossing the finish line first in the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, which is sometimes considered the first automotive race in history. It was commitioned by Automobile Club of France in 1898, a year after his death. Work on the monument was begun by sculptor Jules Dalou, and following his death in 1902, it was continued by one of his students, Camille Lefèvre, who based it on his drawings. The monument was unveiled on 26 November 1907, at the entrance to Boulogne Woodland park.[1][2]

In 1972, due to the construction of the Peripheral Boulevard, the monument was moved to Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.[2]

Characteristics

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The monument is placed in the Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, within the 16th arrondissement of Paris.[2]

It has a form of a large tall stone cuboid, that is stylilyzed to resemble a triumphal arch with two columns placed in front of it. In the centre is featured a relief titled The Triumph of Levassor (French: Le Triomphe de Levassor). It depicts Émile Levassor driving a 1895 Panhard et Levassor automobile, featuring racing number 5 written on its front, and decorated with laurel branches. Behind and to his right, is depicted a cheering crowd of people, with men to waving their hats in the air. Above them are branches of a tree. On top of the arch, above the relief, is a sculpture of a car wherl with wings.[1][2][3]

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    Monument as seen from the side.
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    The details on the top of the monument.
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    The relief.
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    The relief

References

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  1. ^ a b Éamon Ó Cofaigh: A Vehicle for Change: Popular Representations of the Automobile in 20th-Century France. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2022. ISBN 9781802070675.
  2. ^ a b c d June Ellen Hargrove: The Statues of Paris An Open-air Pantheon: the History of Statues to Great Men. Mercatorfonds, 1989, p. 219. ISBN 9789061532095.
  3. ^ Hervé Poulain, Jean Jacques Lévêque: L'art et l'automobile. Les Clefs du Temps, 1973, p. 60. (in French)
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