The Monument to the Glory of Émile Levassor (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Monument à la gloire d'Émile Levassor''), also known as ''The Triumph of Levassor'' (French: ''Le Triomphe de Levassor''), is a sculpture in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, placed in the Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, within the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (; ) is the westernmost of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the city's Right Bank, it is adjacent to the 17th and 8th arrondissements to the northeast, as well as to the ...

. It is dedicated to

Émile Levassor Émile Constant Levassor (21 January 1843 – 14 April 1897) was a French engineer and a pioneer of the automobile industry and car racing in France. Biography Levassor was born in Marolles-en-Hurepoix. After studying engineering and gradua ...

, an engineer and a pioneer of the

automobile industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by ...

and car racing in France, and commemorates him crossing the finish line first in the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trail, which is sometimes considered the first automotive race in history. It was designed by

Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (; 31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was rais ...

and Camille Lefèvre, and unveiled on 26 November 1907, at the entrance to Boulogne Woodland park. In 1972 it was moved to its current location.

History

The monument was dedicated to

, an engineer and a pioneer of the

and car racing in France, and commemorated him crossing the finish line first in the 1895 Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trail, which is sometimes considered the first automotive race in history. It was commissioned by Automobile Club of France in 1898, a year after his death. Work on the monument was begun by sculptor

, and following his death in 1902, it was continued by one of his students, Camille Lefèvre, who based it on his drawings. The monument was unveiled on 26 November 1907, at the entrance to Boulogne Woodland park.Éamon Ó Cofaigh: ''A Vehicle for Change: Popular Representations of the Automobile in 20th-Century France''. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2022. ISBN 9781802070675.June Ellen Hargrove: ''The Statues of Paris An Open-air Pantheon: the History of Statues to Great Men''. Mercatorfonds, 1989, p. 219. ISBN 9789061532095. In 1972, due to the construction of the Peripheral Boulevard, the monument was moved to Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, in the

Characteristics

The monument is placed in the Alexandre and René Parodi Square, near Admiral Bruix Boulevard, within the

. It has a form of a large tall stone cuboid that is stylized to resemble a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road, and usually standing alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal ...

with two columns placed in front of it. In the centre is featured a

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

titled ''The Triumph of Levassor'' (

: ''Le Triomphe de Levassor''). It depicts

driving a 1895

Panhard et Levassor Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

automobile, featuring racing number 5 written on its front, and decorated with

laurel branches A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

. Behind and to his right is depicted a cheering crowd of people, with men to waving their hats in the air. Above them are branches of a tree. On top of the arch, above the relief, is a sculpture of a car wheel with wings.Hervé Poulain, Jean Jacques Lévêque: ''L'art et l'automobile''. Les Clefs du Temps, 1973, p. 60. (in French)

Gallery

File:Monument à Émile Levassor, Paris 16e 1.jpg, Monument as seen from the side File:Monument à Émile Levassor, Paris 16e 3.jpg, The details on the top of the monument File:Monument à Levassor 1907 droite.jpg, The relief File:Monument à Levassor 1907 gauche.jpg, The relief

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monument to the Glory of Emile Levassor Monuments and memorials in Paris 1907 establishments in France 1907 sculptures Buildings and structures completed in 1907 Outdoor sculptures in Paris Sculptures of men in France Sculptures of women in Paris Sculptures of objects Cars in art Buildings and structures in the 16th arrondissement of Paris Panhard Reliefs in France Cultural depictions of engineers Cultural depictions of racing drivers Stone monuments and memorials Relocated buildings and structures in France Sculptures of plants