An allegorical sculptural group consisting of the figure of the Muse Kaliope, with the attributes of poetry, seated on a lofty sarcophagus, carelessly leaning against a large medallion with a portrait of the writer; the latter, in turn, stands on a pile of books (on one of which the title of Gautier's famous collection of poetry 'Emaux et camées' is legible). Engraved on three walls of the plinth are lines by Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) from his poem 'La comédie de la mort' (1838).

The tombstone of the eminent poet, novelist and art critic, funded by a circle of his friends (as the dedication on the front of the plinth states), was widely commented on in Paris after its unveiling, primarily because of the person of the deceased, once a leader of the Romantic camp. It also acknowledged the class of the sculptor himself and his ability to come up with an unusual solution to a rather conventional allegorical composition. The Parisian magazine L'Illustration (26.06.1875, no. 1687, p. 424) included an engraving depicting the monument and a description of its inauguration, including a speech by the poet Théodore de Banville and congratulations to Godebski after the unveiling of the sculpture. Among the opinions from the national press, there was also the voice of Bolesław Prus:

"On a high, ornate marble base rests the figure of Poetry, holding a lute in his left hand and leaning with his right on a medallion embracing in bas-relief a bust of the deceased. [...] The whole, besides its solemnity, is distinguished by taste and finish'.

An anonymous French critic writing about Godebski on the occasion of the 1882 Salon in Paris, however, criticised the tombstone - his best-known work in France at the time - as a 'box of chocolates', characterised by forced charm.

Godebski in Paris knew Gautier, but entrusting the Polish artist with this commission was a measure of his rapid recognition in the capital of European art. The success of this monument contributed to Godebski's decision to leave Warsaw definitively and remain permanently in Paris.

It is likely that the magnificent monument was created to replace Gautier's first tombstone, which was much more modest. Godebski's sculpture is in poor condition, with significant weathering of the stone visible.