The Wrapping of the Arc de Triumphe

1 - Paris, the capital of France, is home to many important landmarks. One of the best known is the Arc de Triomphe, the triumphal arch. It stands in the centre of a large square, Place Charles de Gaulle. Twelve major roads, called avenues in France, radiate out from this square. The most famous is undoubtedly the Avenue des Champs Elysées, the grand boulevard of the French capital.

2 - From September 19 to October 3, 2021, the Arc de Triomphe was wrapped. This was the last project by Bulgarian artist Christo. He did not live to see his plans realised, as he died in May 2020.

3 - As early as 1962, artist couple Christo and Jeanne Claude had planned to wrap the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. But those plans could not be realized at the time. Christo and Jeanne Claude turned to other ideas. They wrapped and tied up everyday objects, such as chairs, stacks of magazines, and a Volkswagen Beetle.

4 - Then they turned to larger projects: in 1972, they stretched a 400-metre-long orange curtain across Rifle Valley in Colorado. In 1985, the two artists wrapped the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. In June 1995, the Reichstag building in Berlin was wrapped in more than 100,000 square metres of fabric and blue rope. Five million visitors came to Berlin over the 16 days to see this magnificent work up close. From 1962 to 2019, Christo and Jeanne Claude realized twenty-three major projects on different continents.

5 - After his wife’s death in 2009, Christo continued to develop the ideas they had worked on together. Wrapping the Arc de Triomphe became his final project. It was originally scheduled to take place in April 2020, but was postponed until the fall because falcons were nesting in the monument. Meanwhile, Christo died in May 2020. Due to the Covid pandemic, the date had to be postponed again, until the fall of 2021.

6 - Christo’s nephew, Wladimir Jawaschew, led the work. In the end, 25,000 square meters of silvery-blue fabric, made in Germany, were needed. The reverse side is blue and shows through. The fabric can be reused. The covering was held in place by 3,000 meters of red rope. The wrapping took two months. Wooden structures protected parts of the building that protruded. More than 100 high-altitude climbers carried out the work. The entire project cost around €14 million, fully funded by the project team.

7 - Visitors could touch the fabric and enjoy its bright, silvery sheen. The way the fabric was made created unique effects. The silvery white blended with the blue shimmer of the background and the red ropes to form the national colours of France: blue, white and red. Viewed from a little distance, the bright fabric seemed to take on ever-changing shadows. To some, the draped monument also looked like a giant pencil drawing. Above all, however, the wrapping made people take a fresh look at the Arc de Triomphe.

8 - Originally, the triumphal arch was built to glorify war. It was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon in 1806. Shortly before, he had won a major battle at Austerlitz against the Austrian Empire. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1806. However, it took 30 years to complete.

9 - The Arc de Triomphe is 49.54 m high, 44.82 m wide, and 22 m deep. The large arch reaches 29.19 m high and is 14.62 m wide. The small arch is 18.68 m high and 8.44 m wide. Four sculptural groups are mounted on the lower section, while the upper section features scenes from French history. There is a small museum inside the Arc de Triomphe.

10 - Today, the arch also commemorates the history of German-French relations. Beneath the vaulted arch is a plaque commemorating the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France in 1918. The region had become part of France only after the Thirty Years’ War, which ended in 1648. Following the war between Germany and France in 1870/71 and France’s defeat, it became part of the German Empire. After the end of World War I, it returned to France.

11 - Beneath another slab is the grave of an unknown soldier who died in World War I. The inscription says that he died “for the fatherland.” Many German towns and cities still have monuments that likewise claim countless young men “died a hero’s death for the fatherland.” There were many wars between Germany and France over the past centuries. Hopefully, this period has been overcome forever through reconciliation between the two countries and the unification of Europe. The wrapping of the Arc de Triomphe brought this home once again.

12 - The artist who created this work of art was born in Bulgaria in 1935 as Christo Wladimirow Jawaschew. His talent for drawing became apparent at an early age. He also developed a fondness for large pieces of fabric, made at his parents’ factory. However, the family lost the factory to the state after the end of World War II. In 1956, Christo fled to Vienna. He later lived in Paris and New York.

He met his wife Jeanne Claude, who was born in Casablanca, Morocco, on the same day as her husband. Then they began their artistic collaboration. Jeanne Claude died on November 18, 2009, and Christo on May 31, 2020.

Images: Hamsterkiste (6), public domain (1)