Inauguration of Triomphe de la RépubliqueAuguste Bartholdi

The 1899 inauguration of the ’Triomphe de la République’ at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris was a key cultural event. This gelatin silver print by the Union photographique française captures the era’s spirit. It relates to Auguste Bartholdi’s ’Liberty Enlightening the World,’ symbolizing freedom and enlightenment. Paul-Joseph-Victor Dargaud’s oil painting (c.1884) adds to this narrative of artistic and national pride.