1079 - Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi Model of the Lion of Belfort Terracotta. 24 x 34 x 12.5 cm. Provenance Acquired on the Paris art market in the 1990s. - Private collection, Denmark. Following the steadfast resistance of the city of Belfort during the siege in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), the city announced a competition for a monument to commemorate this event. The mayor specifically approached the sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (fig. 1), who had himself actively participated in the war as a captain in the National Guard and who, a few years later, would go on to design what is now the symbol of the United States—the Statue of Liberty (see current exhibition: Auguste Bartholdi, Liberty Enlightening the World, Musée d’Orsay, 15,.9.2026–31.1.2027). The monument for the city of Belfort, now known as The Lion of Belfort (fig. 2), attracts 60,000 visitors annually and is offered here in the form of a terracotta model. It impressively conveys the monumental impact of the original: a small human figure placed at the lion’s paws illustrates its impressive dimensions. Several versions of these models exist in bronze and terracotta, with the latter, in its warm hues, coming particularly close to the original made of red Vosges sandstone. This version also bears a dedication to Marie Schutzenberger. She was the wife of the painter Louis-Frédéric Schutzenberger, a close friend and supporter of Bartholdi. The Schutzenberger family—like Bartholdi himself—belonged to the Alsatian middle class, which suffered from the consequences of Germany’s annexation after 1871. Against this backdrop, the dedication appears to be both an expression of personal affection and a quiet testament to a shared historical experience. For comparative illustrations, see the printed catalogue as well as the PDF version.