La Messagère, Bronze sculpture in Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France

La Messagère is a bronze sculpture by Gabriel Forestier in the Jardin du Luxembourg, depicting a headless female figure with one arm missing, representing the goddess Iris. It stands on a stone pedestal among the garden's statues, near the grand bassin.

The work was originally conceived in 1891 and underwent several revisions before its final casting at Alexis Rudier's foundry in 1894. This production timeline reflects the careful artistic process typical of fine bronze casting during that period.

The title La Messagère, "the messenger", names the figure as Iris, the Greek goddess who carried messages between gods and mortals. Gabriel Forestier gave her neither head nor right arm, so the winged sandals and outstretched left arm carry the sense of flight. Visitors pass her among the garden's statues without always linking the missing limbs to the messenger role.

La Messagère stands in the Jardin du Luxembourg, near the western terrace and the Grand Bassin. The garden is open daily from sunrise to sunset, with free entry. The nearest entrances are on rue de Médicis and rue Guynemer; the statue is a short walk from the Luxembourg Sénat RER stop.

The sculpture stands out for the deliberate absence of the head and one arm, emphasizing the female form and sense of movement. This artistic choice gives the work a modern quality that feels surprisingly contemporary for its late 19th-century creation.