1 / 3
an image of a statue of a lighthouse with a bird on top of itan image of a statue of a man on top of a towera close up of a tall metal object with many designs on it
Artcurial

72 - SCULPTURE OF THE VENDÔME COLUMN, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CEN…
See original version (French)

Estimate €800 - €1,200
Sale commission
Description
SCULPTURE OF THE VENDÔME COLUMN, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY. In bronze with a medallic patina, surmounted by a statue of Emperor Napoleon I as a colonel of the Guard Chasseurs, after Charles-Émile Seurre, resting on a square-section base in Turquin blue and black marble H.: 63.5 cm W: 16.5 cm D: 16.5 cm A patinated bronze reduction of ‘The Vendôme Column’, on a marble plinth, from the second half of the 19th century. Erected in 1810 to commemorate the victory at Austerlitz, and fashioned from the cannons captured during that battle, the Vendôme Column is crowned by a statue by Antoine Chaudet depicting Napoleon I as Caesar. The original design was to depict the Emperor in the classical style, bare-chested and with bulging muscles: wishing to avoid the ridicule of such a representation, the Emperor insisted that his body be covered with a toga. In 1814, following the first abdication, the statue was taken down by the coalition forces. In 1831, whilst Louis-Philippe was seeking to win the sympathy of the Bonapartists, a new statue depicting the Emperor, this time in a frock coat (corresponding to that in our miniature), was erected. The commission was awarded to the sculptor Charles-Émile Seurre. In 1863, Napoleon III had it replaced with a new, classical-style version by Auguste Dumont, which was more faithful to the original. In 1871, rioters during the Paris Commune toppled the column, which was subsequently restored. The statue of Emperor Napoleon I as a colonel of the Guard Chasseurs, by Seurre, which had been placed on the Courbevoie roundabout during the Second Empire, was thrown into the Seine during the events of the Paris Commune. Today, it overlooks the main courtyard of Les Invalides.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Books, Manuscripts & Antique Engravings, including the José Luis Dotti Library
Auction location
Auction time 09/23/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like