Matilda of Flanders, Marble statue in Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France.
This marble sculpture, 2.4 meters (about 8 feet) tall, shows Queen Matilda wearing a decorated crown and a royal robe. She holds a staff of authority in her right hand, while her left hand rests gracefully on her sword.
Created by sculptor Jean-Jacques Elshoecht between 1843 and 1848, this monument was commissioned by King Louis-Philippe I for 12,000 French Francs and was first exhibited at the Paris Salon before its installation in the Luxembourg Gardens in 1850.
The statue forms part of the 'Reines de France et Femmes illustres' collection, which celebrates twenty prominent women from French and European history, reflecting the 19th-century movement to honor influential female figures through public art and commemorate their contributions to society.
Located on the east-central terrace of the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement, the statue is accessible year-round during garden hours, which typically run from dawn to dusk with seasonal variations between 7:30 AM and 9:30 PM.
The sculpture represents Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, who became Queen of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was known for her political acumen, religious patronage, and role in establishing Norman rule in medieval England.
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