The Oath of Spartacus, Marble statue in Tuileries Garden, France
The Oath of Spartacus is a marble statue depicting a young man supporting a crucified figure while holding a blade in his other hand. The work stands about 2.1 meters tall and features carefully carved details in the bodies and faces.
Louis-Ernest Barrias created this marble work between 1869 and 1871 during a period of political change in France. The statue was installed in the Tuileries Garden in 1875 and has remained there continuously.
Barrias took the subject from the aftermath of the slave revolt led by Spartacus in 73 BC: the young son of the defeated leader is shown swearing an oath over the body of his crucified father. The raised blade and the two fingers the boy grips belong to that vow of vengeance, a scene Roman writers such as Appian and Florus described.
The statue is located in the Grand Carre section of the Tuileries Garden near the Large Round Basin. You can reach it easily on foot from the garden's main pathways and central areas.
The boy's damaged left hand delicately grasps two fingers of the dying man while his right hand holds the blade with its point turned backward. This asymmetrical composition captures an inner tension between compassion and the need for action.
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