“The city of Paris has its great mast made entirely of bronze, sculpted with Victories, and Napoleon as its lookout,” wrote Balzac in
The Girl with Golden Eyes
published in 1835 and dedicated to the painter Eugène Delacroix.
This large bronze mast is none other than the Vendôme column, located in the heart of the square of the same name.
The history of this monument is closely linked to that of the jewelry houses that surround it, while providing a summary of the history of the nation.
Built on the orders of Napoleon I from 1806 to 1810 to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz, it was destroyed during the Paris Commune in 1871, before being rebuilt in its current form.
Named in turn Column of Austerlitz, Column of Victory, Column of the Grande Armée then Vendôme Column, it is inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome.
Classified as a historic monument since March 31, 1992, it will be covered, in August 2014, with scaffolding, when it will be the subject of a restoration campaign led by the chief architect of historic monuments, Christophe Bottineau and financed entirely by the Ritz.
The goal of this major work?
Restore its legibility but also restore bronzes and locksmith and ironworks, roofs and masonry.
Remember that it was clad in cast bronze from Russian and Austrian cannons... proving the Napoleonic victory.
The collection of photos and drawings of the Vendôme column by Lorenz Baümer in his shop at 19, place Vendôme.
Press Photo / Lorenz Baumer
Anatomy of a sculptural monument
A true masterpiece to the glory of the emperor, composed of a stone structure covered with 425 bronze plates, it unfolds, in a continuous spiral up to its summit, a 280 m frieze designed by Bergeret and recounting the glorious episodes of the campaign, from the Boulogne camp until the return of Napoleon and his guard.
Its execution is the work of a team of sculptors, notably composed of Boizot, Bosio, Bartolini, Ramey, Corbet and Ruxthiel.
Culminating at 44.30 meters, extending over an average diameter of 3.60 m, placed on a pedestal, it is topped by a statue of Napoleon I.
The latter was changed several times.
The first statue of Napoleon as Caesar was signed by the sculptor Antoine Denis Chaudet.
Then, under the July Monarchy, on July 28, 1833 in the presence of Louis Philippe, a new statue bearing the effigy of the emperor in a corporal's frock coat, made by Charles Emile Serre, was installed.
Finally, Napoleon III had it replaced by a copy of the first statue as a Roman emperor, this time made by Auguste Dumont.
The monument hides a staircase in its center, which allows you to reach a platform located under the statue.
Lorenz Baümer at the top of the Vendôme Column, in October 2023. David Atlan
Breathtaking view of the rooftops of Paris
Visible from the salons of the greatest luxury houses, it rises in the heart of the famous Place Vendôme, which is the dream of the whole world.
The monument inspires jewelers who admire its majesty behind the workshop windows.
Examples?
Lorenz Baümer, an independent jeweler based at number 19 for thirty years, collects photos of the square on which the Napoleonic building or at least its shadow should appear, to be discovered on the walls in his shop.
“I am passionate about this place so rich in history and so associated with this world that I love so much, that of jewelry.
The Vendôme column inspires me with its history but also with its emblematic side and its beautiful workmanship: like a jewel,” confides the man who was recently able to climb its 180 steps, 93 cm wide.
“It will remain an unforgettable experience.
We are moving from the shadows to the light of Paris.
When we arrive at the top, we overlook the sea of roofs, from which the monuments emerge like islands,” he continues, echoing Balzac’s maritime metaphor.
Among his creations, the Daguerreotype Colonne Vendôme watch proves this fascination.
Established here since 1893, the Boucheron house also honors the epicenter of the place.
Launched in 1947, the Reflet watch, recognizable by its gadrooned case, was also the house's first watchmaking success.
When you blow on the sapphire crystal, the silhouette of the Vendôme column appears on the dial... magical!
In 2024, the building is the setting for the campaign for the new high jewelry collection presented in January, imagined by Claire Choisne, creative director of the Boucheron house and called The Power of Couture.
His inspiration?
Ceremonial clothing.
As a nod to the military symbolism of the monument, the aiguillette – an ornament made up of several braided cords – the medals, the collar or the epaulettes of the uniform are diverted to give birth to 84 pieces, sparkling in crystal. rock and diamonds.
Model wearing jewelry from the Histoire de Style, Power of Couture collection by Boucheron.
Press Photo / Boucheron
A fascinating silhouette
Another house, another style... In the Chaumet archives, a watch, manufactured in 1869 by Breguet, sold in 1873 to Élise Dosne-Thiers, wife of Adolphe Thiers, first president of the Third Republic, is adorned with a central chain which supports a small mechanical pencil in the shape of a Vendôme column.
The symbolism is strong.
Indeed, Adolphe Thiers was the president who put an end to the Paris Commune, an insurrectional movement which had destroyed the column.
But the house's links with Napoleon go much deeper.
Indeed, in 1805, in Milan, while the emperor and empress were preparing to be crowned king and queen of Italy, François-Regnault Nitot, son of the founder of the house, was responsible for presenting the Pope with a sumptuous tiara ordered by Napoleon.
Conquered, Joséphine becomes, from then on, one of Chaumet's most loyal customers while the emperor calls on her services when it comes to offering his beloved “jewellery of feelings”.
A heritage that the jeweler preserves by constantly enriching its Joséphine collection.
But let’s return to our Vendôme column.
It was in 2021 that Chaumet paid its most beautiful tribute to the building with the Torsade high jewelry collection, as a nod to the commemorative frieze movement.
At Van Cleef & Arpels, no tribute collection.
However, “the Majestic” is omnipresent.
Indeed, the house's hallmark represents the initials VCA, around the Vendôme column, in a horizontal diamond, of absolute elegance.
Inspired by the Vendôme Column, Torsade de Chaumet ring Press Photo / Chaumet