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Gloria Victis

Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié French
Cast by Barbedienne Foundry French

modeled by 1874, cast before 1896

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 556

Mercié created this sculpture of a winged figure of Fame bearing aloft a fallen soldier in response to France’s humiliating loss in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The work’s title, engraved on its base, reverses the ancient idiom “Vae victis!” (“Woe to the vanquished!”), affirming the resurgent spirit of France in the face of defeat. The uplifting image of heroic sacrifice resonated with the French people, who lauded the monumental sculpture upon its 1874 Paris debut and purchased smaller bronze editions, like this version, produced by the Barbedienne foundry.

Gloria Victis, Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié (French, Toulouse 1845–1916 Paris), Bronze, French — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Gloria Victis

Artist: Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié (French, Toulouse 1845–1916 Paris)

Founder: Cast by Barbedienne Foundry (French, 1834–1954)

Date: modeled by 1874, cast before 1896

Culture: French

Medium: Bronze

Dimensions: wt. confirmed: 110.5 lb. (50.1 kg)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by Marlborough Churchill, 1896

Accession Number: O.L.89.IV

Chronology

France, 1800-1900 A.D.

The Met

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Met

The Met's comprehensive collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century.