The Public of the Monument (1789-2026). Collective Celebration in Question

Under the direction of Thierry Laugée, Professor of Contemporary Art History, Nantes Université, CReAAH-LARA

“This is how the Republic knew how to impress the masses by involving them in these great national celebrations.”

In these words, published in 1842 in Pagnerre’s Dictionnaire politique, Pierre-Jean David d’Angers held up the revolutionary festivals of Year II of the Republic as models; in his view, they were genuinely popular. The Festival of the Supreme Being in particular—which orchestrated the participation of the people in the celebration of temporary statues—aroused an enthusiasm conducive to moral elevation and reminded the sculptor of the emancipatory function of the sculpted monument.

David’s attention to the collective dimension of sculpture forms part of the much broader history of public statuary. Shared forms of celebration—whether marking an inauguration or taking on a more symbolic form—constitute one of the necessary conditions for a monument to be truly perceived as public, that is, as belonging to those who live alongside it. Whether it is an association celebrating the anniversary of a great figure in front of their statue, a spontaneous gathering around an effigy in support of a political cause, or supporters climbing the Statue of the Republic to celebrate their club’s victory, such gestures represent different ways of celebrating a monument—or celebrating with it.

Indeed, the popular gatherings that took place in 1899 around the sculpted monument Triomphe de la République are said to have inspired Jules Dalou with the idea for his Monument aux ouvriers, demonstrating the political and artistic momentum generated by the social phenomenon of public appropriation of monuments.

By occupying urban space, public statuary comes into daily contact with pedestrians. While a statue may be intended to convey a message, shape collective memory, or embody the values promoted by a local community, the role of passers-by cannot be reduced to that of passive observers. Beyond their potential financial contribution through taxation or public subscription, they are the ones who accept or reject a monument and incorporate it into local social life.

To trace the history of a public monument is to reconstruct, through archival sources, the genealogy of the discussions and administrative and financial decisions that led to its erection, from the study of proposed designs to the inauguration of the final work. Yet one of the fundamental challenges of statuary is to become part of a locality’s future; every event that takes place around a monument, up to and including its possible dismantling, belongs to the long history of the public monument. This urban history generally lies beyond the artist’s control: it is shaped by ceremonies and festivities that revolve around the statue or incorporate it into an urban space, whether by choice or necessity.

This study day therefore seeks to examine the forms and paradoxes of celebrating statuary in the city, as well as the many actors involved in these collective celebrations. It aims to observe the statue’s “fellow citizens”—those for whom it is intended—in order to better understand their role, their uses of the monument, and the attachment they may develop to an effigy over time.

SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

• Thierry Laugée, Professor of Contemporary Art History, Nantes Université, CReAAH-LARA

Scientific Committee and Coordination

• Franck Joubin, Researcher, Conference Coordinator, Musée Rodin
• Véronique Mattiussi, Head of the Research department, Musée Rodin
• Emilia Philippot, Senior Curator, Head of Curatorial Affairs, Musée Rodin
• Amélie Simier, Director of Musée Rodin

PROGRAM

Friday, October 9, 2026

Visual: Eugène Druet, The Burghers of Calais Monument on Scaffolding, 1913, gelatin silver print, 39.9 × 30 cm, Paris, Musée Rodin, Rodin donation, 1916, Ph.00938 © musée Rodin.