Pierre Corneille, Statue in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France
Pierre Corneille is a public statue in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, representing the 17th-century playwright of the same name. The figure stands on a plain pedestal, holding a scroll, and shows Corneille in a standing pose with a thoughtful expression.
Pierre Corneille lived in the 17th century and became known for his plays, especially Le Cid, which had a lasting influence on French theater. The statue was made by Gabriel Rispal, a sculptor trained at the Beaux-Arts schools in Bordeaux and Paris, and was completed in the early 1950s.
The statue stands in a neighborhood full of bookshops and university buildings, where students pass by every day. Corneille is seen in France as the father of classical tragedy, and his presence here reflects how deeply theater is rooted in Parisian street life.
The statue is in the 5th arrondissement and easy to reach on foot from the Sorbonne or the Luxembourg Gardens. It stands outdoors and can be visited at any time without any entry requirement.
Gabriel Rispal came from a family of sculptors, having learned the craft by watching his father work in the studio from an early age. This background shows in the care given to the face and clothing of the figure, where fine details are visible up close.
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