LA RÉPUBLIQUE
DE JEAN-FRANÇOIS SOITOUX

PREMIÈRE REPRÉSENTATION OFFICIELLE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE COMMANDÉE PAR LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA 11EME RÉPUBLIQUE À L’ISSUE D’UN CONCOURS LANCÉE LE 18 MARS 1848.
IMPLANTÉE DEVANT L’INSTITUT LE 24 FÉVRIER 1880. A ÉTÉ RESTAURÉ AUX FRAIS DE LA VILLE DE PARIS ET RÉIMPLANTÉE EN CE LIEU PAR JACQUES CHIRAC, MAIRE DE PARIS, LE 23 SEPTEMBRE 1992 À L’OCCASION DU BICENTENAIRE DE LA PROCLAMATION DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE

The statue symbolizing the Republic was made in 1848 by Jean-François Soitoux, after winning a competition made by the government of the Second French Republic (1848-1852), established after an uprising against King Louis Philippe I. At the end of this government period, its prime minister, Louis Napoleon, crowned himself Napoleon III and the second imperial period began.

The sculptural figure represents the Republic, she is a woman dressed in a toga, on her head a wreath of victory, in one hand a sword, and the other holding a Fasces (a bunch of wooden rods between which is an ax blade) the symbol of government.

After the statue was placed, it was removed in 1962, and re-placed in 1992 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the proclamation of the First Republic, near the place where it was first placed. The text on the sign was written in this year.

The statue was photographed on the same day Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

Translation of the text on the sign:
THE REPUBLIC
BY JEAN-FRANÇOIS SOITOUX
FIRST OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC ORDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 11TH REPUBLIC FOLLOWING A COMPETITION LAUNCHED ON MARCH 18, 1848.
ESTABLISHED IN FRONT OF THE INSTITUTE ON FEBRUARY 24, 1880. WAS RESTORED AT THE EXPENSES OF THE CITY OF PARIS AND RE-IMPLANTED IN THIS PLACE BY JACQUES CHIRAC, MAYOR OF PARIS, ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1992 ON THE OCCASION OF THE BICENTENARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE REPUBLIC