Illustrious French officer and politician Gilbert du Motier went down in history as the Marquis de La Fayette...
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Illustrious French officer and politician Gilbert du Motier went down in history as the Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834). Reacting against the nobility system brought down by the French Revolution, he chose Lafayette in 1789: his name thus passed to posterity.
A man of conviction, his military commitment to the American insurgents led to his appointment as a general by George Washington in 1777, at the age of 19: in 1781, his victory at the Battle of Yorktown put an end to the American War of Independence against Great Britain. Nicknamed the \"hero of two worlds\", Lafayette remains a true American hero to this day: known as one of the eight honorary citizens of the United States, he ended his life there.
Back in France, Lafayette worked to renew royal power, before taking part in the beginnings of the French Revolution. During this period, he presented the draft Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen to the Constituent Assembly, a breakthrough for history. After the storming of the Bastille, Lafayette became commander of the National Guard; in 1830, he played a major political role in the July Revolution and the beginnings of the July Monarchy.
Created in 1790 by Jean-Antoine Houdon, this bust celebrates Lafayette's noble profile, at the height of his career and influence.
In collaboration with the Moulage workshop of the Rmn - Grand Palais.
Size
35 cm
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