Honoré de Balzac, Bronze statue in 8th arrondissement, France.

The monument to Honoré de Balzac by Alexandre Falguière stands at the corner of the avenue de Friedland and the rue Balzac. A bronze figure of the writer in a frock coat rises on a stone pedestal, his hands clasped and his head slightly bowed, above a base carrying a seated allegorical figure and relief medallions of characters from La Comédie humaine.

Alexandre Falguière's bronze was inaugurated in 1902 at the corner of avenue de Friedland and rue Balzac, near the writer's former home in the 8th arrondissement. The monument was funded by public subscription organised by the Société des gens de lettres, and its placement followed the 1899 centenary of Balzac's birth. Falguière, who died in 1900, did not see the finished work installed.

The monument reflects how Paris honors major literary figures from the 1800s through public sculptures placed in busy areas. People passing through the district encounter this tribute as part of their daily routes through the city.

The statue stands in a busy area with multiple transit stops nearby, making it straightforward to reach while exploring the neighborhood. Being located in public space, it is accessible around the clock throughout the year without any restrictions.

This sculpture predates the more famous Rodin head of the writer, making it one of the earliest monumental tributes created before that later version gained wider recognition. Few visitors realize this Falguière work held the distinction of being the first such public honor.