Gloria Victis (Glory defeated)

First shown at the Salon of 1874, Mercié’s dramatic Gloria Victis represents a defeated soldier borne aloft by a winged allegory. When Mercié began work on the group during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, he had intended the sculpture to be a representation of a victorious soldier, but altered it following France’s defeat to the celebrated group known today. Following an enthusiastic reception at the Salon – where it was viewed as a manifestation of a nation’s disappointment – it was acquired by the city of Paris and cast by Thiebault Frères in a full-scale bronze which is today in the entry hall of the Petit Palais in Paris (PPS03351).