Paris 2015: Monument to Adam Mickiewicz, 8e arrondissement

Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855) was one of the great European Romantic poets, considered in the country of his birth as the father of modern Polish literature. He spent much of his life in France, and it was in 1929 that this magnificent statue, sculpted by Antoine Bourdelle and financed by the Association France-Pologne, was erected in the Place de l'Alma; it was moved to the present site a short distance away in Cours Albert 1^er in 1955. Mickiewicz stands at the top of the structure, whereas the bas reliefs represent some of his poems.

'AUX DZIADY
LA MORT
VIENT PRENDRE
LA PAROLE.
LA VIE
N'EST PLUS
Q[U]'AUX OMBRES'

 

'CAPTIF
TU PEUX PAR
LA PENSÉE
ET PAR LA FOI
FAIRE CROULER
ET RELEVER
LES TRÔNES'

 

'WALLENROD
DIT: J'AI ÉCOUTÉ
LE CHANT.
TRIOMPHE POUR
LE POÈTE.
LES PROJETS
SERONT ACCOMPLIS'

 

'LE VIEUX BARDE
HALBAN
TOUCHE LES CORDES.
EN ACCORDS TIMIDES
IL SUIT LES TONS
FAROUCHES
DE SON MAÎTRE'

 

'CHANTS
D'ALDONA
QUE
L'AUDITEUR
SENSIBLE
T'ACHÈVE
DANS SON ÂME'

 

'RÉASSEMBLÉES
LES TROIS ÂMES
DE LA POLOGNE
SONGENT
VERS MICKIEVICZ
PROPHÈTE DE
LA DÉLIVRANCE'

 

Antoine Bourdelle in the the 15th arrondissement, Paris

Musée Bourdelle is based in and around the former home and studio of the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929) in the 15th arrondissement. It was established as a museum in 1949. The size of some of the exhibits make this museum quite remarkable, almost overpowering.

The Great Hall, with Centaure Mourant, modèle imberbe (Dying Centaur, unbearded version) in shadows on the right.

Auguste Rodin (1910) in the front garden.

Bourdin's atelier (studio).

I didn't expect to find misericords there.

La Vierge à l'offrande (The virgin of the Offering) in the interior gardens.

Télémaque reçu à Pylos par Nestor (Telemachus Received at Pylos by Nestor).

Anatole France (1919).

Portrait of Bourdelle (1930) by Otto Otto Bänniger.

Study of head for Le Monument à Adam Mickiewitz (1909–28), the Polish romantic poet.

 

A fragment of Bourdelle's monument to Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855).

Mickiewitz's statue as it is at the top of the monument, which was installed at place de l'Alma in Paris, and was then moved to Cours Albert-I^er, where it remains today.

Adam Mickiewicz, 63 Rue de Seine, Paris, France: Literary Île-de-France #6

'Histoire de Paris

'Adam Mickiewicz, le poète exilé

————————————————

'Né en 1798, dans une famille de petite noblesse ruinée de Lithuanie, il étudie à Vilno, creuset révolutionnaire, et participe à la fondation d'une société secrète, les Philomathes, dont il préside la section littéraire. Ses conférences et ses poèmes lui assurent trés jeune la célébrité, mais lui valent aussi d'être déporté en Russie par la police du tsar. En 1829, Mickiewicz part pour l'Allemagne et y publie le "Livre de la nation polonaise" et le "Livre des pèlerins polonais", avant de venir s'installer à Paris : il rédige ici son chef-d'oeuvre "Pan Tadeusz". Chargé de cours au Collège de France en 1840 dans la chaire de Langues et littérature slaves, il est révoqué en même temps que Michelet et Quinet. Après une tentative infructueuse de lever une légion polonaise pour combattre avec les républicains italiens en 1848, il fonde une "Tribune des peuple" destinée à être l'organe des émigrés en France. Cet éternel errant contract au cours d'une expédition en Turquie le choléa qui l'emporte en 1855.'

'History of Paris

'Adam Mickiewicz, the exiled poet

————————————————

'Born in 1798 into a ruined family of the minor aristocracy in Lithuania, he studied in Vilnius, a revolutionary melting pot, and took part in founding the Philomathes, a secret society whose literary section he was in charge of. His conferences and poems assured his fame at a very young age, but also led to his deportation to Russia by the tsar's police. In 1829, Mickiewicz left for Germany and published Book of the Polish Nation and Book of Polish Pilgrims there, before moving to Paris: here he produced Pan Tadeusz, his masterpiece. Head of studies in Slavic Languages and Literature at the Collège de France in 1840, this post was revoked at the same time as Michelet and Quinet's. Following a fruitless attempt to raise a Polish legion against the Italian republicans in 1848, he established the People's Tribune, which was destined to be the voice of French emigrants. This constant wanderer contracted cholera during an expedition to Turkey, causing his death in 1855.'

'ADAM MICKIEWICZ

'POÈTE NATIONAL DE LA POLOGNE

HABITAIT ICI QUAND FUT PUBLIÉ À PARIS

SON CHEF-D'OEUVRE PAN TADEUSZ

EN L'ANNÉE

——— 1834 ———
ROKU WYDANIA

PANA TADEUSZA TUTAJ MIESZKAL

ADAM MICKIEWICZ'

'ADAM MICKIEWICZ

THE NATIONAL POET OF POLAND

LIVED HERE WHEN

HIS MASTERPIECE PAN TADEUSZ WAS PUBLISHED

IN THE YEAR

——— 1834 ———'