Paris Art Studies – Chaillot and Cité d’Architecture

Palais de Chaillot, place du Tocadéro 16^th arrdt – by Jacques Carlu (1890-1976), Louis-Hippolyte Boileau (1888-1978) and  Léon Azéma  (1898-1948) –  erected 1935-1937.

Originally built by Gabriel Davioud with gardens by Adolphe Alphand for the 1878 Paris World’s fair, the old building was demolished and replaced by the current two wings and central esplanade as the centerpiece of the 1937 World’s Fair. The object was to give to the city a new ensemble of monumental museums and cultural institutions. These are currently the musée de la Marine, de musée de l’Homme, the National theatre of Chaillot and the new Cité d’Architecture et du patrimoine, formerly musée des Monuments français.

The abundant statuary reflects French academic and classical styles of the 1930’s and is resolutely anti-modern. The main sculptors are: Paul Belmondo, Léon-Ernest Drivier and Marcel Gimond. The monumental groups on top of the two wings are by Raymond Delamarre et Carlo Sarrabezolles. The famous fountains and water basin are by Félix Févola.

Palais d'Iéna, originally Musée des Travaux publiques, now Conseil économique et social -  place d'Iéna, Paris 16^th arrdt 1936-48 - by Auguste Perret (1874-1954).

Launched at the time of the 1937 World’s Fair, the construction was interrupted by the war and was only finished in 1954. The palace using, as is usual for Perret, concrete in a great variety of textures and colors has a purified classical style in its use of slender colonnades and projecting cornices. It resolutely turns its back to the Trocadéro buildings whose academic style Perret loathed, most particularly after his own plan for the museums was rejected by the government.

Palais de Tokyo, avenue du Président Wilson 16^th arrdt –intended to house  the municipal Museum (east wing ) and National (west wing) museums of modern art. By Jean-Claude Dondel, André Aubert, Paul Viard and Marcel Dastugue, 1937.

Sculpture : bas-relief by Alfred Janniot,  bronze statue of « France » by Antoine Bourdelle, west metopes by Marcel Gaumont, east metopes by  Léon Baudry bronze doors by Szabo with reliefs by André Bizette-Lindet (avenue du président Wilson) and  Subes with reliefs by Dideron (avenue de New York). Reclining nymphs on esplanade by Louis Dejean, Léon Drivier and Auguste Guénot.