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

Écoute

Écoute is a sculpture by the French artist Henri de Miller (1953–1999) in Paris. It is a giant stone head with a cupped hand positioned in front of the Church of St-Eustache. The work is located near another sculpture by the same artist: a very large sundial designed by the astronomer Dandrel. That sundial stands in the jardin Nelson-Mandela, formerly the Jardin des Halles, above the Forum des Halles.

Écoute, a pale stone head sculpture with a hand cupped to its ear, stands in a plaza with a church behind it.
Écoute by Henri de Miller in front of Saint-Eustache Church in Paris.
August 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Écoute, a large stone sculpture of a reclining human head with a hand cupped near its ear, in a Paris plaza.
Écoute in Paris, showing the giant stone head and hand on a paved plaza with visitors nearby.
July 2014 © · CC BY 2.0
Écoute sculpture showing a large stone head lying on its side beside a cupped hand, with people around it in a plaza.
Écoute in an urban plaza, with its oversized stone head and hand surrounded by visitors.
July 2014 © · CC BY 2.0
The sculpture Écoute shows a large stone head lying on its side with a cupped hand beside its face.
Écoute, a large stone sculpture of a head with a cupped hand, displayed outdoors on a stepped pedestal.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Écoute sculpture showing a large stone head and cupped hand on a plaza, with a woman seated on the hand.
Écoute stands on a patterned stone plaza, with a woman perched on the sculpture’s cupped hand.
© Brisckerly · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleÉcoute
TypeSculpture

Creator

ArtistHenri de Miller
Artist nationalityFrench
Artist lifespan1953–1999

Historical context

Date designed1986
Completion date1989
Commissioned forthe Forum des Halles
Commission date1986

Physical characteristics

MaterialSandstone
PlacementPlaced directly on the ground of the square

Appearance

Depicted formA giant stone head with a cupped hand in front of it
StyleModern art
Form/appearanceThe face is stylized and the features are only faintly defined, making the figure almost expressionless

Iconography and meaning

SubjectA human head with a hand brought near the ear, as if trying to listen
Meaning of the titleListen

Location and ownership

LocationPlace René-Cassin, Jardin Nelson-Mandela, Paris, France
Specific locationIn front of the Church of Saint-Eustache, on the northern edge of the Jardin des Halles, opposite the church
Arrondissement1st arrondissement of Paris
Nearby landmarkSaint-Eustache Church
Nearby artwork by the same artistA very large sundial designed by the astronomer Dandrel in the Jardin Nelson-Mandela above the Forum des Halles
Related work by the same sculptorA fiber-optic sundial conceived in 1988 called Cadran solaire à fibres optiques, located in the same Paris park

History and restoration

Reconstruction impactAfter the redevelopment of the Jardin des Halles, renamed Jardin Nelson-Mandela, the sculpture’s orientation was slightly altered in 2013
Change to nearby object in 2013The fiber-optic sundial was removed
SignatureSigned on one side: "Henri de Miller 1986"

Category

CategoryOutdoor sculpture
CategorySculpture in France
CategoryMonument in Paris
Category1st arrondissement of Paris