Commissioned by the Chambre de Commerce de Lille, this statue occupies a particularly original place in the emperor's iconographical cannon. Clothed in his imperial dress, Napoleon holds an imperial sceptre in one hand, whilst with the other he protects examples of local produce, including sugar beet and a cog-wheel used in the region's linen industry.
Between 1854 (the exact inauguration date was 3 December, 1854) and 1976, this statue stood on a magnificent pedestal at the Vieille Bourse, in Lille.
Since 1996, it has been held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, in Lille.
Updated: October 2011
Statue of Napoleon I, protector of agriculture and industry
Artist(s) : LEMAIRE Henri
- Date :
- 1854
- Technique :
- Bronze
- Place held :
- Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille (Inv. D.996-4-1).
- Photo credit :
- © Emmanuelle Papot