Explore the Recreation of this artwork.
Prior to the French Revolution the people who learned of Henry IV's contributions to the history and wellbeing of France regarded him as the model of a good king. This contributed to the symbolism of the statue and its integration into royal ceremonies. As time went on, the oral stories and memories of the people continued, reinforcing the significance of the statue as it represented the important ideas and values that the people of France held to their future kings, like Louis XVI. When the Revolution began and the suspicions against Louis XVI grew, it clashed with the people's views and wishes of what their king was expected to represent.When Louis XVIII, Louis XVI's brother, had re-entered Paris, a temporary replacement statue made of plaster-of-paris stood on Pont Neuf. This was made possible by the Minister of the Interior, Jacques-Claude Beugnot. Due to the comparisons of Louis XVIII to Henry IV and many people's desires, plans for the restoration of the statue were underway.Bronze for the new statue was obtained from a statue of Louis Charles Antoine Desaix, as well as from the statue of Napoleon in Place Vendôme. The new version of the statue, made by François-Frédéric Lemot, was finished by 1818.The statue that can be seen today varies from its previous version. The current statue still retains the iconic pose of Henry IV and his horse, but the main differences are visible on the pedestal. The slaves, harpies, and youths from the previous version were not integrated into the present-day version of the piece.
Napoleon Place Vendôme Louis XV François-Frédéric Lemot plaster-of-paris France Pont Neuf Louis XVIII harpies Louis Charles Antoine Desaix French Revolution Jacques-Claude Beugnot Paris Louis XVI Henry IV