Bouquet of Tulips
Bouquet of Tulips is a sculpture by Jeff Koons in Paris, near the Champs-Élysées. Created between 2016 and 2019, it was dedicated to the memory of the victims of the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. The composition shows part of a hand holding 11 tulips; the missing 12th flower symbolizes the victims of the attack. The work was created at the request of former U.S. ambassador to France Jane Hartley, as a gesture of support for the French people. Koons said the sculpture was inspired by Pablo Picasso’s 1958 lithograph Bouquet of Peace, the torch in the Statue of Liberty, and, among other sources, flowers by Claude Monet and floral decoration in the Rococo style of François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
February 2020 © art_inthecity · CC BY 2.0
February 2020 © art_inthecity · CC BY 2.0
February 2020 © art_inthecity · CC BY 2.0
February 2020 © art_inthecity · CC BY 2.0
February 2020 © art_inthecity · CC BY 2.0
Identification | |
| Title | Bouquet of Tulips |
| Type | Sculpture / public monument |
| Spanish title | Ramo de Tulipanes |
Creator | |
| Artist | Jeff Koons |
| Artist nationality | American |
Historical context | |
| Purpose | To express support for the French people and reaffirm Franco-American ties |
| Donation announcement | Officially announced at a press conference in Paris in November 2016 |
| Funding model | Modeled on the historical tradition of monumental donations such as the Statue of Liberty, with the artist overseeing fabrication and installation while costs were covered by private or public subscriptions |
| Additional artist contribution | Koons later added US$1 million of his own money after delays increased production costs |
| Production cost | About €3.5 million; estimated cost of creating the work was US$3.2 million |
| Funding and production | Funded by private donations from American and French donors; production coordinated by Noirmontartproduction and supported by Fonds Pour Paris / Fonds de Paris and the Paris Foundation |
| Commissioning context | Hartley asked Koons to create the tribute after discussing the idea with Jerry Speyer in Paris in January 2016 |
| Gift recipient | The people of Paris |
| Commissioned by | Jane D. Hartley, U.S. ambassador to France at the time |
| Dedication | In memory of the victims of the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris; also described as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 and 2016 attacks in France |
| Inaugurated | October 2019 |
| Creation period | 2016–2019 |
| Announced | 2016 |
Physical characteristics | |
| Form | A hand and forearm holding a bouquet of eleven tulips |
| Flower count | 11 flowers |
| Missing element symbolism | The missing 12th flower symbolizes the victims of the attacks and the loss caused by them |
| Mass | 33–34 tonnes; 60 tonnes including the base |
| Height | About 12 meters; sources also give 12.62 meters |
| Width | 8.35 meters |
Materials | |
| Materials | Polychromed bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, and steel |
Technique | |
| Fabrication | Made by the Arnold workshops near Frankfurt am Main and assembled in situ in the garden |
Appearance | |
| Style | Very realistic appearance in the hand and stylized, balloon-like tulips |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Inspiration | Inspired by Pablo Picasso's 1958 lithograph Bouquet of Peace, Claude Monet's flowers, and the floral decorations of Rococo by François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard |
| Statue of Liberty reference | References the torch-bearing hand of the Statue of Liberty, sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi |
| Symbolism | A symbol of remembrance, optimism, recovery, giving, friendship, and support; also presented as a symbol of life continuing and of the universal associations of flowers with rebirth and the cycle of life |
| International symbolism | Symbolizes the gift of friendship and support between France and the United States |
Location and ownership | |
| Location controversy | The proposed siting was controversial, including criticism that the initial location had no connection to the attacks and a petition signed by nearly 9,000 people |
| Installation status | Transported to Paris in parts from Germany starting in summer 2019; full installation was expected to be completed by Museum Night on 5 October |
| Approval of location | The final site was agreed by Christophe Girard, Jeff Koons, and his representatives after the Palais de Tokyo proposal was dropped in May 2018 |
| Alternative proposed locations | La Villette Park in northeast Paris; Place des États-Unis |
| Location change | The initially proposed site at the Palais de Tokyo was replaced by the current location in the gardens of the Champs-Élysées |
| Initial proposed location | Place de Tokyo / the plaza in front of the Palais de Tokyo, Paris |
| Current location | In the gardens of the Champs-Élysées, between the Petit Palais and Place de la Concorde, Paris, France |
History and restoration | |
| Public criticism | The funding and siting were criticized by Parisians and by French cultural figures; an open letter in Libération called the gift opportunistic and cynical |
| Public support | A second open letter in Le Monde defended the sculpture |
| Structural issue | The pavement at the initial site was not strong enough to support the 34-ton sculpture and its 27-ton base |
| Inauguration | Inaugurated by Anne Hidalgo in October 2019; Jeff Koons, Jane Hartley, and Jamie McCourt were present |
| Maintenance funding | 20% of the proceeds from commercial rights were dedicated to the sculpture's maintenance |
Significance | |
| Artist significance | One of Koons's largest sculptures and his first commemorative work |
Other | |
| Street art intervention | Street artist Unikz installed a life-size black monkey sculpture in front of the work, holding tulips and trampling three tricolor flowers |
| Scholarly and media responses | Alexandre Gady criticized the installation; Yves Michaud published a critical book in 2020; a 2023 editorial dispute over Romy Golan's essay was later described by some experts as editorial self-censorship |