Lion, Sculpture in the Tuileries Garden, 1st arrondissement, Paris, France
The Lion is a white marble sculpture by Giuseppe Franchi, carved in 1806 and set in the Tuileries Garden. The seated beast is shown with heavy paws, a thick mane and a turned head, measuring about 1.8 metres high and 2.14 metres wide.
The Lion is one of the marble animals commissioned for the Tuileries Garden under Napoleon, whose architects and sculptors reworked the former royal garden from 1800 onward. Giuseppe Franchi, an Italian sculptor working in Paris, carved it in 1806. It belongs to the same campaign that filled the garden with antique and modern statues.
The lion is part of the garden's collection and shows how classical sculptures shape spaces for walking and viewing. Visitors notice the preference for Italian craftsmanship that helps define the park's character.
The lion stands in the Tuileries Garden, in the 1st arrondissement, near the terrace along the Rue de Rivoli side. The garden is open daily and entry is free; the sculpture can be reached on foot from the Tuileries or Palais Royal metro stations. Look for it among the works placed along the garden's alleys.
The lion's head is turned toward the garden rather than the path, so many walkers pass its expressive face without noticing it. Giuseppe Franchi carved the animal from a single block of white marble, and the mane is worked in overlapping locks that catch the light differently from the smooth flanks.
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