Michel de Montaigne, Bronze sculpture in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France.

Michel de Montaigne is a bronze sculpture by Paul Landowski, unveiled in 1934 in the Square Samuel-Paty. It shows the philosopher standing in a long robe, holding a closed book in his right hand, his head slightly bowed. The bronze figure rests on a stone pedestal.

Sculptor Paul Landowski created the work and it was unveiled on January 17, 1934. The sculpture honors a 16th-century French writer whose Essays transformed how people approached literature and personal reflection.

The bronze stands in the Square Samuel-Paty, named in 2015 after the history teacher killed at the Hyper Cacher supermarket; the square was previously the Place Paul-Painlevé. Montaigne's Essays, first published in 1580, gave the French word "essai" its literary sense of a trial of one's own judgment.

The sculpture sits in the 5th arrondissement and is surrounded by benches where visitors can rest and observe their surroundings. The square lies within walking distance of other landmarks and is easy to access.

The work was among Paul Landowski's early commissions before he became known for monumental sculpture across Europe. The statue reveals the emerging style of an artist whose approach would evolve significantly throughout his career.