Located between the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries Gardens, on the Place du Carrousel, this Arc de Triomphe is not as well known as its counterpart on the Place de l'Etoile. And yet, it is the focus of an exhibition at the Musée du Louvre, from July 12, 2023 to March 11, 2024.
The museum is revealing the secrets of the sculpted decoration that adorns the Arc, through several works installed in a room in the Richelieu wing.
The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was built by Napoleon I to honor his soldiers after a series of wars between France and its European neighbors, who felt threatened by the French Revolution. " You will only return to your homes under triumphal arches ", the emperor told his troops.
And indeed, triumphal arches were built. The one on the Carrousel, built under the direction of Dominique-Vivant Denon, is adorned with several bas-reliefs depicting the great battles and the different types of soldiers who took part in the Napoleonic Wars.
The exhibition at the Musée du Louvre features several drawings and sketches of the Arc, and even a life-size plaster cast of a soldier's statue! The various stages in the construction of this monument are explained, revealing an exceptional project that took less than two years to complete, at the very beginning of the 19th century.
To complete the exhibition, you can continue your visit to the museum'sDepartment of Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Sculpture. Here you'll find the statue of Napoleon in triumph, sculpted in 1806 by François Lemot. This statue was " installed in the summer of 1808 at the top of the Arc du Carrousel, then removed on August 16, 1808 and placed in the Orangerie of the Galerie du Louvre on September 11, 1808 ", explains the museum.
With this exhibition, the Carrousel Arch will no longer hold any secrets for you! And take the opportunity to discover the Louvre's other exhibitions and events.
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Dates and Opening Time
From July 12th, 2023 to March 11th, 2024
Location
Louvre Museum
musée du louvre
75001 Paris 1
Access
Metro Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre
Prices
Musée + exposition: €17
Official website
www.louvre.fr
