Tiny Statue of Liberty

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Hardly anyone is even aware of the existence of this tiny Statue of Liberty in the Luxembourg Gardens. It was a gift from Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor, to the City of Paris. It’s only slightly larger than life size (at just under 3 metres tall), and it doesn’t look exactly the same as the famous one in New York, being one of the last versions of the statue to be created by the sculptor. This one seems to have a more casual and less stern look about her, and the date on the tablet she is holding (the date of inauguration of the middle-sized Statue of Liberty on the Pont de Grenelle) is different.

She seems to be looking less straight ahead. But maybe I’m imagining things.

The statue is under a bunch of trees on the east side of the gardens. It is very hard to photograph. This was about the best I could do. Click directly on the photo to see a larger version (twice this size). Photographed on August 9, 2001.