France and Its Spaces of War pp 163-178 | Cite as
“Pedestals Dedicated to Absence”: The Symbolic Impact of the Wartime Destruction of French Bronze Statuary
Abstract
On a tree-lined Parisian boulevard near place D en fer t- Roch er eau stands a ped- estal inscribed “F. Arago, 1786–1853, Souscription Nationale.” Few passersby, if they notice it at all, would pause to wonder whether a statue ever graced its top. Some long-time resident of the neighborhood might remember that the base once supported a bronze homage to the scientist and politician François Arago raised by national public subscription in 1893.2 Some may even recall the statue’s removal in December 1941.3 But for most, the story behind this empty pedestal remains unknown. The same is true for scores of bronze monuments all over France.
Keywords
Postwar Period Municipal Council French Community Bronze Statuary Municipal ArchivePreview
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Notes
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