Monument to Alfred de Musset, Marble statue in Parc Monceau, France
The monument to Alfred de Musset is a marble statue in Parc Monceau that shows the French poet sitting while a female figure leans over his right shoulder. The composition depicts two figures in close connection, representing the relationship between the artist and his creative force.
The statue was created by sculptor Antonin Mercié in 1906 and originally stood near the Comédie-Française. It was moved to Parc Monceau in 1981, where it remains today.
The monument depicts a scene from The Night of May, a poem where a suffering poet speaks with Poetry personified as a muse figure. The representation of a woman leaning over the seated man shows how artists of that era viewed inspiration as something external that comes to them.
The statue is located along the Allée de la Comtesse-de-Ségur within Parc Monceau and can be reached through several gated entrances in the 8th arrondissement. The park itself is easy to navigate with multiple pathways leading to the monument.
The right hand and part of the right arm of the muse figure are missing from the original composition, showing visible damage. These absent parts serve as a quiet record of time's passage and the wear the work has endured.
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