Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

L'Acteur grec

L'Acteur grec is a bronze sculpture by Charles-Arthur Bourgeois, first exhibited at the Salon of 1868. The state acquired it in 1873, and it was later shown at the 1878 Universal Exposition, where it received a third-class medal. It was initially placed at the Odéon theatre, then moved shortly afterward to the Luxembourg Gardens. There, it was positioned at the end of a long lawn aligned with the rue Soufflot axis, so that the figure turns its back to the dome of the Panthéon.

The Greek Actor statue on a tall stone pedestal in a tree-lined park, with a grassy avenue and distant domed building behind it.
The Greek Actor stands on a tall pedestal in a park lined with trees and a long grassy avenue.
November 1899 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Greek Actor statue on a pedestal with the Pantheon in the background.
The Greek Actor stands on a pedestal in front of the Pantheon in Paris.
October 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Greek Actor sculpture on a tall stone pedestal in a park, with flowers and trees behind it.
The Greek Actor stands on a weathered stone pedestal in a park surrounded by flowers and trees.
June 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Greek Actor statue on a stone pedestal with one arm raised holding a mask, set along a tree-lined path with a domed building in the distance.
The Greek Actor statue stands along a tree-lined path, with a domed building visible in the distance.
September 2005 © · Public domain
The Greek Actor sculpture on a tall stone pedestal in a flower bed of red and yellow tulips in a Paris park.
The Greek Actor stands on a pedestal amid tulips in a landscaped Paris park.
© · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleL'Acteur grec

Creator

ArtistCharles-Arthur Bourgeois

Materials

Materialbronze

Historical context

Presented atthe Salon of 1868
Acquired by the state1873
Exhibited atthe Exposition Universelle of 1878
Awardthird-class medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1878

Discovery and provenance

Original locationthe Odéon Theatre

Location and ownership

Orientationturns its back to the dome of the Panthéon
Current locationthe Luxembourg Garden
Placementat the end of a long lawn along the axis of rue Soufflot

Iconography and meaning

Depicted subjecta theater actor from ancient Greece
Action depictedabout to recite his lines while reading the manuscript in his left hand
Gesturea histrionic declamatory gesture with his right hand

Appearance

Beardbearded
Maskwears a theatrical mask raised on his forehead
Clothingwears a sheepskin wrapped around his hips