The Phrygian cap, the symbol of liberty, used to be worn by freed slaves in Greece and Rome. Mediterranean seamen and convicts manning the galleys also wore a similar type of cap, and revolutionaries from the South of France are believed to have adopted the headgear. Under the Third Republic, statues, and especially busts, of Marianne began to proliferate, particularly in town halls. She was represented in several different manners, depending on whether the aim was to emphasize her revolutionary nature or her "wisdom.
When Napoleon III proclaimed the Empire in , he replaced the figure of Marianne that was displayed on the coins and postage stamps with his own effigy. But the emerging opposition groups, desirous of re-establishing the Republic, rallied around the figure of Marianne.
With the institution of the new Republic, the Paris Commune encouraged the cult of the bare-breasted freedom woman coifed with the red Phrygian bonnet of the sans-culotte. Paris never called her Marianne, however, this was the name given her outside the Capital. Every town and village had its statue or bell bearing the name that recalled the great revolutionary moments: , , In , after the fall of the Commune, the founders of the Third Republic sought a means of reviving the symbols of the Republic without at the same time encouraging revolutionary movements.
They therefore shunned the Phrygian bonnet for the crown of ripened wheat, taken from the sunburst crown on the coins. But the model was only partially adopted, and throughout France, crowned statue vied with bonneted statue.
The name given these statues varied with the social category: the working-class republican called her "Marianne", the bourgeois republican spoke of "the Republic", and the anti-republican, when he eschewed the insulting "la gueuse" the beggar-girl , used "Marie-Anne", in its pejorative sense. Gradually the number of busts in town halls and schools grew.
In , the Paris City Hall commissioned a sculpture wearing a Phrygian bonnet, and gradually the model became standardized: the bust of a young woman with placid features, some wearing a crown of wheat, but more often the Phrygian bonnet. The Republic had settled in. Marianne now appears in an expurgated version. She recently published her first novel, Hearts at Dawn , a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling that takes place during the Siege of Paris.
You can read about her adventures here , or feel free to stop by her website. Just make sure that your comment is relevant to the content of the article and adds to the conversation. Rude, racist and off-topic comments will not be approved. Please also make sure to proofread your comment before posting. If you write in French, your comment doesn't need to be perfect but please use a tool like Bon Patron to spot common mistakes.
It was delightful to read your overview of Marianne. I enjoy your pieces very much — enlightening, entertaining and practical! Alyssa, good stuff on Marianne! I knew of her from my student daze in Paris. She epitomized the grace, elegance and esprit of les Bleus. As for Delacroix, I always heard mention that is was Liberty leading the people. Thank you for writing all these nice and interesting articles about French culture, specially from the perspective of an American living her life in Paris.
Keep up the good work! Display a Gravatar image next to my comments. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Table of Contents. Who is Marianne? Is Marianne a real person? When was Marianne created? Why is the symbol of France a woman? What is Marianne wearing on her head? Why is Marianne topless?
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