The Resistance by Falguière
The Resistance by Falguière was a 9-foot-tall snow sculpture of a nude woman with a cannon, made on 8 December 1870 during the Siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War. Alexandre Falguière, a member of a National Guard company with many artists and intellectuals, created it with help from his comrades in just a few hours. The work was intended to symbolize French resistance to Prussia. It became a tourist attraction and was later sketched by Félix Philippoteaux, who was in the same company. After the snow sculpture melted, Falguière tried unsuccessfully to recreate it in a more permanent medium.
© Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguière (France, Toulouse 1831-France, Paris 1900) · Public domain
1852 © Scan by NYPL · Public domain
© Félix Bracquemond · Public domain
1852 © Scan by NYPL · Public domain
Identification | |
| Title | La Résistance |
| Alternate title | La Défense de Paris |
| English title | The Resistance |
| English alternate title | The Defense of Paris |
| Type | snow sculpture |
Creator | |
| Artist | Alexandre Falguière |
Historical context | |
| Date made | 8 December 1870 |
| Context | made during the Siege of Paris, in the Franco-Prussian War |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Created with assistance from | Falguière's comrades in a National Guard company, including Félix Philippoteaux |
| Related person | Félix Philippoteaux |
| Related person | Hippolyte Moulin |
| Related person | Théodore de Banville |
| Related person | Félix Bracquemond |
| Related person | Faustin Betbeder |
Physical characteristics | |
| Height | 2.74 meters (9 feet) |
Materials | |
| Material | snow |
Appearance | |
| Subject | a nude woman holding a cannon |
| Pose | seated on a cannon with her arms crossed |
| Clothing | her left thigh was covered with a drapery |
| Expression | a proud gaze, energetic attitude, fierce expression, and an air of indomitable resolve |
| Inscription | "La Résistance" engraved at her feet |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Meaning | an allegory of French resistance to Prussia |
Creation | |
| Creation time | a few hours |
| Place of creation | not specified |
History and restoration | |
| Later fate | after the snow sculpture melted, Falguière attempted to recreate it in a more permanent medium but was unsuccessful because it lacked the spontaneity of the original |
| Published sketch by | Félix Philippoteaux |
| Etching by | Félix Bracquemond, published by Faustin Betbeder |
| Public reception | it became a tourist attraction |
| Nearby related work | a less celebrated snow bust by Hippolyte Moulin |
Significance | |
| Artistic significance | Falguière's first female nude; a subject he later specialized in |
| Literary response | Théodore de Banville wrote an ode about it |