Grave of Balzac and Ewelina Hańska, Tomb in Paris, France
The tomb of Honoré de Balzac and Ewelina Hańska sits in division 48 of Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, enclosed by a wrought-iron fence. A bronze bust, roughly 30 inches (75 cm) tall, made by sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers, stands on top of the stone slab bearing both their names.
Balzac died in 1850, just months after marrying Ewelina Hańska, a Polish noblewoman he had corresponded with for nearly two decades. After her death in 1882, she was buried beside him, and the monument has been restored twice since then, most recently in 2013.
The wrought-iron fence surrounding the tomb is decorated with motifs of feathers and references to La Comédie Humaine, making it easy to recognize from a distance. Visitors often pause in front of the bronze bust, which shows Balzac in the guise of the messenger Hermes, a symbol of knowledge and communication.
The grave is in division 48 of Père-Lachaise, and the free map available at the entrance makes it easy to locate without getting lost in the large grounds. Visiting during daylight hours gives the clearest view of the bronze details and the inscriptions on the stone slab.
The bronze bust was made by David d'Angers in 1844, six years before Balzac died, which is an unusual timeline for a funerary monument. Ewelina, who outlived him by nearly thirty years, took personal charge of maintaining the grave and overseeing the publication of his unfinished writings.
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