That statue symbolises the complete opposite of your europhile cosmopolitanism. The big bundle of sticks with the spear is the fasces of the Republic. It’s illustrating a souverainiste ideal.
Ah well, and there I was thinking it symbolised my own hope to continue to be in the same Union as my friends in France and elsewhere. Silly me. There’s always a commenter here who knows better.
” It’s illustrating a souverainiste ideal.”
Er, no.
I don’t know that particular statue, to be honest, but it’s obviously a representation of Marianne, the personnification of the French Republic, holding aloft and showing the bolts of lightning of Human Rights to the world. The ideals of the French Revolution were always universalist and there is no doubt that in the minds of the revolutionaries at the time and later the events of 1789 were just the start.
Here, in 1848: http://expositions.bnf.fr/utopie/grand/3_75.htm
The universality of the French revolution was of a very specific kind: everyone together, speaking French under one government and set of laws. Rather less attractive if you were Dutch or German , for example.
Oh, please. That the Rights of Man were not applied consistently by the French Republic is obvious to every schoolchild. They are also a universal project. You can take issue with that project in any number of ways, but there’s a coherent set of ideas there that are in no way essentially French. The nationalist sees only nations.
To take this in a slightly different direction. The aesthetics of that statue are odd-seeming, at least to me. Most of it seems pretty standard-ly classical (broadly speaking), but the bolts of lightning seem straight out of ’20s modernism. Maybe it’s just me. Anyway, it’s curiously captivating.
{ 11 comments }
Ecrasez l'Infame 06.19.16 at 2:13 pm
That statue symbolises the complete opposite of your europhile cosmopolitanism. The big bundle of sticks with the spear is the fasces of the Republic. It’s illustrating a souverainiste ideal.
Chris Bertram 06.19.16 at 4:00 pm
Ah well, and there I was thinking it symbolised my own hope to continue to be in the same Union as my friends in France and elsewhere. Silly me. There’s always a commenter here who knows better.
Sasha Clarkson 06.19.16 at 4:42 pm
It’s the thought that counts Chris:
Seid umschlungen, Millionen! :)
(Embrace – ye millions)
Arnaud 06.19.16 at 6:01 pm
” It’s illustrating a souverainiste ideal.”
Er, no.
I don’t know that particular statue, to be honest, but it’s obviously a representation of Marianne, the personnification of the French Republic, holding aloft and showing the bolts of lightning of Human Rights to the world. The ideals of the French Revolution were always universalist and there is no doubt that in the minds of the revolutionaries at the time and later the events of 1789 were just the start.
Here, in 1848:
http://expositions.bnf.fr/utopie/grand/3_75.htm
franck 06.19.16 at 6:18 pm
Chris,
I’ve really enjoyed your weekly photoblogging.
The universality of the French revolution was of a very specific kind: everyone together, speaking French under one government and set of laws. Rather less attractive if you were Dutch or German , for example.
Colin Danby 06.19.16 at 7:43 pm
Oh, please. That the Rights of Man were not applied consistently by the French Republic is obvious to every schoolchild. They are also a universal project. You can take issue with that project in any number of ways, but there’s a coherent set of ideas there that are in no way essentially French. The nationalist sees only nations.
Alan White 06.19.16 at 8:41 pm
A powerful photo–good luck this week.
js. 06.19.16 at 10:21 pm
To take this in a slightly different direction. The aesthetics of that statue are odd-seeming, at least to me. Most of it seems pretty standard-ly classical (broadly speaking), but the bolts of lightning seem straight out of ’20s modernism. Maybe it’s just me. Anyway, it’s curiously captivating.
novakant 06.19.16 at 10:27 pm
I have noticed the same thing, js.
Snarki, child of Loki 06.20.16 at 12:19 pm
Sigh.
Time to visit the eye doctor.
For a second there I thought the words held up by the statue was “DROIDS GO HOME!”
js. 06.21.16 at 3:48 am
@novakant — Glad I’m not alone!
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