Misery, Marble statue in Tuileries Garden, Paris, France
Misery is a marble statue in Tuileries Garden depicting a man grasping a serpent while two children cling to his legs. The work stands approximately 2.86 meters tall and 1.08 meters wide, presenting three figures within a single sculptural composition.
Misery was commissioned from Jean-Baptiste Hugues and installed in the Tuileries Garden in 1923, not 1905. It belongs to a series of twelve sculptures placed around the large circular basin of the Grand Carré, each treating a different theme. Hugues, born in Marseille in 1849, won the Prix de Rome in 1875 and taught at the École des beaux-arts.
The title Misery names the allegorical figure rather than a person; Hugues modelled an old man whose body is bound by a serpent while two children clutch his legs. The marble was carved for the Tuileries programme inaugurated in 1923, so the group belongs to the post-war display of allegories around the Grand Bassin rather than to an earlier decorative scheme.
The sculpture is located in the eastern section of the Grand Carre area and remains accessible during the garden's open hours. Best viewed from multiple angles as you walk around it, the statue sits in an open setting amid pathways and landscaped grounds.
The statue incorporates an unexpected detail: a serpent is woven into the composition and intertwined with the main figure's form. This element adds symbolic depth to the work that reveals itself upon closer observation.
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