Il Dispetto

Il Dispetto is a marble statue of a young musician in the Jardin du Luxembourg whose finely carved features express frustration and inner agitation. The work shows a youthful face full of emotional tension, carved from gleaming white stone.

Jean Valette first presented the work as a plaster model before later realizing it in marble for the garden. Academic institutions and public bodies recognized the work and it became part of the permanent collection.

The sculpture is part of a wide collection of outdoor artworks showing how French artists of the 19th century captured human emotion in stone. Similar works fill the garden, representing an important artistic movement of the era.

The statue sits near the Rue Soufflot entrance and is accessible daily from morning to evening. The location makes it easy to find while walking through the garden grounds.

The plaster model was acquired by the Senate administration before the marble version was later shown to the public. This institutional recognition signaled the artist's importance in the artistic circles of the time.

Location: 6th arrondissement of Paris

Inception: 1872

Creator: Jean Valette

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Made from material: marble

GPS coordinates: 48.84719,2.33996

Latest update: December 15, 2025 13:24