Classical · Statues

Le Génie de la Liberté

Augustin-Alexandre Dumont Paris

Le Génie de la Liberté, also known as Le Génie de la Bastille, is a gilt bronze statue created by Auguste Dumont in 1836. It surmounts the colonne de Juillet at Place de la Bastille in Paris, France, and has crowned the July Column since 1836. The statue is an allegorical figure representing liberty under masculine traits. It depicts a winged genius holding a torch in the right hand and broken chains of despotism in the left. The work was made from a plaster model sculpted by the artist in 1833 at the Semur-en-Auxois Museum. A bronze cast was later made by Thiébaut Frères in 1885 following the plaster model and is preserved at the Louvre Museum. The statue appears on the reverse of the ten franc coin of the Génie de la Bastille type created in 1988. It is protected as part of the column classified as a monument historique.

Map showing the location of Le Génie de la Bastille in Paris
Location of Le Génie de la Bastille in Paris

Nearby Objects

Le Genie's Location and Creation

Le Genie de la Liberte, also known as Le Genie de la Bastille, is a gilt bronze statue created by Auguste Dumont in 1836. It surmounts the colonne de Juillet at place de la Bastille in Paris, France. The work is identified both by its title and by its association with the Bastille, reflecting its prominent position above the column.

Design and Symbolism

Le Genie de la Liberte has crowned the July Column since 1836. It is an allegorical statue representing liberty under masculine traits. The figure is shown as a winged genius, holding a torch in the right hand and broken chains of despotism in the left. These elements give the statue a clear symbolic role, combining movement, light, and release from oppression in a single public monument.

History and Preservation

Le Genie de la Liberte is based on a plaster model sculpted by the artist in 1833 and kept at the Semur-en-Auxois Museum. A bronze cast was made by the Thiébaut Freres foundry in 1885 from this plaster model, and it was ordered by the Louvre Museum, where it is preserved. The work later appeared on the reverse of the ten franc coin of the Genie de la Bastille type created in 1988. The statue also receives protection as part of the column classified as a monument historique.

Symbolism and Allegorical Design

Le Genie de la Liberte was created as a masculine allegory under the July Monarchy. Its design deliberately avoided a female representation in order to steer clear of explicit revolutionary and republican references to Liberty. The figure of the genius does not wear a Phrygian cap, which is the usual attribute of Liberty. Instead, the work represents peace, giving the sculpture a meaning that is distinct from direct revolutionary symbolism.

Symbolism and Interpretation

According to Symbolisme maconnique et luciferien, the statue with its attributes represents Lucifer, identified as the bearer of Light or the morning star. In this reading, Lucifer, or Satan, rebels against God with broken chains, and carries knowledge of good and evil to humans, as described in Genesis 3:6. The same source says this symbolism is typical of 19th century Masonic art and places it on the Place de la Bastille. It further interprets the broken chains as a reference to French citizens, led by the Masonic bourgeoisie, freeing themselves from the despotism of monarchy. The flame carried by the angel is associated with Enlightenment ideas.

Art Edition and Reproductions

The Célébration du bicentenaire de la Revolution francaise was organized through a convention signed between the City of Semur-en-Auxois, Matthieu Pinette, and Sophie Lescot. It included an art edition of the statue, issued as exclusive reproductions in limited and numbered editions. An imprint was made in Semur-en-Auxois by the SDDN workshops, which are suppliers of national museums, and the Sèvres National Manufacture sculpture workshop created a faithful reduction of the original statue. Bronze castings were produced by the Parisian foundry Chardon. The art edition pieces were then finished by hand-chiseling and by patination or gilding with 24-carat fine gold. According to the available facts, these were the only reproductions of the Genie de la Liberte offered in different materials and sizes.