The Vendôme Column

An essential monument of Parisian life, the Vendôme Column, daughter of Trajan's Column, commemorates the great Napoleonic epic of the Austerlitz campaign on more than 200 meters of bas-reliefs. An army of thirty-two sculptors led by Vivant Denon brought its setting and its great battles back to life, summoning more than 2,000 characters whose daily lives it accurately recreates, notably thanks to numerous anecdotes: marches, fights and bivouacs, as well as the great historical scenes, capitulations and armistice. By identifying the different actors, soldiers, women and children, famous or unknown, their roles, costumes and weapons, this work allows us to better understand the people of Napoleon's Great Army.

Based on a completely new and exceptional set of contemporary photographs, which show the column as it has never been revealed before, as well as old photographs, drawings, engravings and period documents, this book also looks back on its genesis, its numerous creators, its successive developments, its destruction, its reconstruction, and its recent restoration.

Authors:

Preface by Jean Tulard, historian specializing in the Napoleonic era, member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences.

Laurent Baridon is professor of contemporary art history at the Pierre-Mendès-France University of Grenoble.

David Bordes is an independent photographer specializing in artistic and architectural heritage.

Christophe Bottineau is chief architect of Historical Monuments.

Hubert Cavaniol is a specialist in 19th and 20th century images.

Claire Maingon is an art historian, and lecturer at the University of Rouen.

Antoine de Meaux is a writer and documentary director.

Jean-Paul Nerrière is an enthusiast of the Napoleonic era, and member of the Marine Academy.

Text in French only