The Thumb, Bronze sculpture in La Défense district, France
The bronze thumb sculpture stands 12 meters tall and weighs 18 tons, displaying intricate surface details through polished, waxed, and varnished finishes.
Created by César Baldaccini in 1965 as a 40-centimeter model, the monumental version was installed at La Défense in 1994 next to the CNIT building.
The sculpture represents the artist's own thumb enlarged to colossal proportions, reflecting modern art's tendency to transform common subjects into extraordinary statements.
Visitors can locate this monument near the CNIT building at La Défense, where it underwent restoration work in 2015 to maintain its original appearance.
Multiple versions of this thumb sculpture exist worldwide, including installations in Seoul, Washington, and Koblenz, but La Défense hosts the largest variant.
Location: Puteaux
Inception: 1965
Creator: César Baldaccini
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Website: http://ladefense.fr/fr/oeuvres-d-art/le-pouce
GPS coordinates: 48.89360,2.23861
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:40
This cultural route, highly diverse, explores Paris beyond its usual landmarks, revealing a city of art collections, green spaces, and varied architecture. The itinerary includes the Musée Marmottan Monet, which houses more than 300 paintings by the artist, squares like Parc Monceau with its columns and 18th-century pavilions, and urban ensembles such as Place des Vosges, completed in 1612 under Henri IV. The circuit also passes through Île Saint-Louis, where mansions line the quays since the 17th century, and crosses the Marais district, with its narrow streets filled with galleries and museums inside historic aristocratic houses. The route extends to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne, a glass and steel building designed by Frank Gehry, opened in 2014. Other stops include lesser-visited spots such as Coulée verte René-Dumont, a 4.7 km planted promenade on an old railway, and Parc de Bercy with its three themed gardens. This circuit allows visitors to see different facets of Paris, from the catacombs under the 14th arrondissement to the colorful facades of rue Crémieux, from the flower market on Île de la Cité to César's large-scale sculpture in La Défense.
Grande Arche
222 m
Tour Total
338 m
Tour T1
286 m
Tour Sequoia
111 m
La Défense de Paris
422 m
Tour Égée
323 m
Tour Adria
211 m
Parvis de la Défense
213 m
Araignée rouge
339 m
Musée de l'Informatique
172 m
Deux personnages fantastiques
363 m
Fontaine
439 m
Center of New Industries and Technologies
111 m
Slat
224 m
Arbres lumineux
271 m
Les Points de mire
432 m
Colosse
159 m
L'Escalier
294 m
After Olympia
155 m
La Connaissance
294 m
Reflets
248 m
Utsurohi
101 m
Incrustations M
447 m
Grande Arche
230 m
Champ de coquelicots
361 m
Passerelle de la Coupole
374 m
Pont Léonard de Vinci
415 m
Kyto Kart
358 mReviews
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