Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris
 Submit additional information
ID: POL-002396-P/166031

Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris

ID: POL-002396-P/166031

Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris

A bronze equestrian statue of the Marshal of the three countries - France, Great Britain and Poland - Ferdinand Foch located on the Place Trocadéro in Paris. The idea of building a monument to commemorate this commander came about in 1937. Although the Marshal was already widely recognised at the time as France's national hero and symbol of victory in the First World War, he had not yet received any personal form of commemoration in the French capital. The initiative to create a statue of Ferdinand Foch came from General Weygand and was supported by a committee that included military men, politicians and intellectuals such as Admiral Lacaze and General Lhopital. The project was financed thanks to a national collection which was evidence of widespread public support.


Following a competition, two artists, Robert Wlerick and his student Raymond Martin, were commissioned by the Academy of Fine Arts. The project was delayed due to the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1939, the first model of the statue was created, made of wood and set up, at the request of Jean Zay, Minister of Education, on the terrace of the Chaillot Palace. In order to accurately depict the horse's posture, Wlerick's workshop was turned into a manègė where guards led the horse daily so that the sculptor could observe its movements accurately. During the German occupation, despite the harsh conditions, work continued, but the plaster models cracked when exposed to frost, making it impossible to finalise the project. In 1944, Robert Wlerick died and further work on the monument was taken over by his pupil Raymond Martin. The bronze monument, five metres high and weighing more than four tonnes, was not completed until after the end of the war. The casting was made in the foundry workshops of Alexis Rudier.


Initially, in 1948, the monument was temporarily placed on Chaillot Hill. However, it was eventually decided to move it to the Trocadéro square, where it was to become the focal point of one of the most prestigious locations in Paris. It was placed on an eight-metre-high plinth, further enhancing its monumental character.


However, it was not without controversy. Military officials criticised the lack of a kepi on the Marshal's head, which was considered inappropriate for a military figure. The sculptor defended his decision, arguing that the uncovered head symbolised the strategist's intellect and vision. Perhaps the inspiration of the Roman statue of Marcus Aurelius was also not insignificant. There has also been criticism of errors in detail, such as the spurs mounted in reverse, the lack of jowls in the horse's harness or the depiction of the marshal on a stallion, which is incompatible with military standards. Finally, the sabre is at his side, rather than being pinned to the saddle according to military custom.


On the monument, Marshal Foch is depicted sitting on a horse in a classical pose. In his hand he holds a mace. The horse on which the Marshal is seated is shown in motion - with its front leg raised. The composition of the sculpture is characterised by a classical sense of proportion and harmony, typical of Wlerick's style. The equestrian portrait of Foch is placed on a high rectangular plinth made of light-coloured stone. It bears an inscription on its front:


"FOCH / MARÉCHAL / DE FRANCE / MARÉCHAL / DE GRAND / BRITAIN / ET DE POLOGNE" (which translated means: FOCH / MARSHAL / OF FRANCE / MARSHAL / OF GRAND / BRITAIN / AND POLAND)

Below the inscription are three stars, symbolising his supreme command in the armies of the three countries.


Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929) went down in history not only as an outstanding commander of the First World War, but also as an honorary Marshal of Poland and an advocate of the Polish cause. During the Greater Poland Uprising in 1919, he forced the Germans to cease hostilities against the Polish insurgents. On 5 February 1921, at the famous French military school in Saint-Cyr, Józef Piłsudski honoured Foch with the highest Polish military decoration - the Virtuti Militari order. What's more, Piłsudski did it in an exceptionally symbolic way, detaching his own Virtuti Militari cross from his uniform and pinning it on the French Marshal's chest. The Marshal also received honorary doctorates from three Polish universities and honorary citizenships from Lviv and Grudziądz. The support Foch gave Poland was not entirely disinterested. Aware of the threat that Germany posed to France, a Franco-Polish coalition seemed to him to be a guarantee of security. In fact, he even planned to attack Germany together.


The Paris statue of Foch is not the only memento of the Marshal, and a replica has been located in Mont de Marsan since 1992. However, the monument on the Place Trocadéro has a special significance in the Polish context, as the title of the Polish Marshal that Foch held is inscribed on the front of the monument.

Also in Trabez there is an equestrian statue of Foch on which he is mentioned as a Polish marshal:

"FERDINAND FOCH / 1851-1929 / MARÉCHAL DE FRANCE / DE GRANDE-BRETAGNE / DE POLOGNE / COMMANDANT EN CHEF / LES ARMÉES ALLIÉES / EN 1918" (which translated means: FERDINAND FOCH / 1851-1929 / MARSHAL OF FRANCE / GREAT BRITAIN / AND POLAND / COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF / OF THE ALLIED ARMIES / IN 1918).

Time of origin:

1951 (unveiling)

Creator:

Robert Wlérick (rzeźbiarz; Francja), Raymond Martin (rzeźbiarz; Francja)

Keywords:

Publikacja:

27.11.2024

Ostatnia aktualizacja:

04.12.2024

Author:

Bartłomiej Gutowski
see more Text translated automatically
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024
Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Photo showing Monument to Marshal Ferdinand Foch in Paris Gallery of the object +6
Pomnik Marszałka Ferdynanda Focha, Robert Wlérick i Raymond Martin, 1951, Paryż (Francja), photo Bartłomiej Gutowski, 2024

Related projects

1
  • Katalog poloników Show