Statue de Louis XV, Work of art and statue in Reims, France
The Statue de Louis XV is a stone monument on the Place Royale in Reims, depicting the king dressed in Roman-style robes, wearing a crown and holding a scepter. It sits on an ornate base with inscriptions and is flanked by allegorical sculptural figures.
The original statue was unveiled in 1765, made by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and showed Louis XV as a Roman ruler flanked by figures representing Commerce and Reason. During the French Revolution it was taken down in 1792 and the bronze melted; the current statue, by Pierre Cartellier, was erected in 1819.
The statue stands on the Place Royale, the historic center of Reims, where markets and events still take place today. The Latin inscriptions on the base and the allegorical figures around the statue give the site a ceremonial feel that visitors notice as they walk past.
The statue stands in the open air on the Place Royale and can be approached freely from any direction, with no entrance fee or ticket required. It is easy to reach on foot from the center of Reims and fits naturally into a walk through the historic part of the city.
The first statue from 1765 was made of bronze and was melted down during the Revolution to cast cannons. The current figure from 1819 is made of stone, which means it differs in both material and appearance from what Pigalle originally created.
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