Stendhal, Bronze sculpture in Jardin du Luxembourg, France

This work is a bronze medallion created by sculptor Auguste Rodin that stands among roughly 100 other statues in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. The medallion displays a portrait of the French writer and sits within the renowned garden located in the 6th arrondissement.

A committee formed in 1905 campaigned for fifteen years to raise this monument to Stendhal, and the bronze medallion by Auguste Rodin was inaugurated on 28 June 1920. Rodin based the portrait on a design by Pierre-Jean David d'Angers rather than modelling a new likeness.

The medallion bears the name Henri Beyle, the writer's real name, alongside his pen name Stendhal. Visitors often touch or photograph the bronze portrait, one of about a hundred statues scattered through the garden. The work places a literary figure among the park's queens and statesmen, and his grave in Montmartre is a separate pilgrimage for readers.

The medallion is set on a stone pedestal along the garden's northern walk, close to the former École des Mines. The paths there are gravel and level, with benches nearby, so it is reached on foot without steps. Look for it among the rows of statues rather than at a single monument.

Rodin did not create the medallion from scratch but adapted an earlier design by Pierre-Jean David d'Angers. This choice shows Rodin's respect for the older artist and the artistic vision that already existed.