Description of the attraction
The Grand Palais (Grand Palace) on the Champs Elysees is a luxurious Beaux-Arts building, a major cultural and exhibition center.
It was built for the 1900 World's Fair. At first, they doubted whether it would be possible to overshadow the success of the Eiffel Tower at the last exhibition? We decided that this time the emphasis will be on art. The Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts (the full name of the Grand Palais) became part of a large-scale redevelopment of the western part of Paris.
The construction went on with difficulty. The soil could not support the weight of the building, 3400 oak piles were needed, because of this, the estimate was greatly exceeded. A gigantic amount of stone, steel, rubble, bricks, machinery and hands was required. One and a half thousand builders also created problems - strikes broke out.
The result was worth it. A majestic building with a steel frame, a huge glass roof, a large number of statues, friezes, mosaics appeared. Bronze quadrigi by Georges Resipon crown both wings of the facade - allegorical statues represent Immortality, ahead of time, and Harmony, triumphant over discord. The inscription on the pediment proclaims that the Republic is dedicating this building to the glory of French art.
From the very beginning, the Palace has become a venue for exhibitions - dedicated to innovation and technology and, of course, art. It was here that Matisse and Gauguin received recognition, it was here that Cubism, headed by an unknown Picasso, first declared itself.
During World War II, the building was requisitioned as a military hospital with a thousand beds. Artists and sculptors who were not subject to mobilization decorated chambers or made molds for prostheses. During the occupation, the palace was used for holding Nazi propaganda exhibitions, and during the liberation of Paris - as the headquarters of the Resistance.
Today, the Grand Palais is still an art center. Exhibitions, fashion parades (the Chanel fashion house holds its shows here), car dealerships, horse shows, book fairs, live concerts, the World Fencing Championship - it is difficult to list all the events taking place under the glass roof of the Grand Palace of Fine Arts.
