‘Le Soldat de Marathon Annonçant la Victoire’ (The Soldier of Marathon Announcing the Victory), Cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne

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‘Le Soldat de Marathon Annonçant la Victoire’ (The Soldier of Marathon Announcing the Victory), Cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne from the model by Jean Pierre Cortot.

A large and finely cast patinated bronze figure of Pheidippides of Marathon, the near-naked soldier messenger, holds aloft a palm frond symbolizing victory in his left hand. He is seated on a draped cloak, shield, and sword. The naturalistic oval base is inscribed at the front with SOLDAT SPARTIATE and at the reverse with F. BARBEDIENNE. FONDEUR, along with the circular Réduction Mécanique/A. Collas stamp. The piece exhibits a rich brown patination.

The plaster model first exhibited at the Salon in 1822.
The marble version, completed in 1834, commissioned by King Louis-Philippe in 1831.
The present bronze edition was cast as a limited series by the Barbedienne Foundry, circa 1880.

فرنسا، حوالي عام 1880.

The epitome of stoicism and the classical ideal, “Le Soldat de Marathon Annonçant la Victoire” was first presented by Cortot as a plaster model at the Salon of 1822 and is now conserved at the Musée municipal de Semur-en-Auxois.

Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787-1843) The Soldier of Marathon, 1822 Plaster, Semur-en-Auxois, Musée Photo : Didier Rykner, Public Domain.

In 1831, Louis-Philippe, newly crowned, commissioned a marble version from Cortot for the state. This piece was part of a series of commissions celebrating the triumphs of antiquity and heroic figures renowned for their courage, devotion to patriotic or civic duty, and stoicism. Notable examples include Philopoemen by David d’Angers and Cato of Utica by Jean-Baptiste Roman, both now housed in the Louvre. Exhibited at the Salon of 1834, Cortot’s marble was initially placed in the Tuileries Gardens as a pendant to James Pradier’s Prometheus. It iwas added the Louvre’s permanent collection in Paris in 1877 (Inv. No. LP243).

Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787-1843), ‘Le Soldat de Marathon annonçant la victoire’, Marble 1834. (inv No. LP243), Photo (C) Musée du Louvre, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Pierre Philibert. Public Domain.

A popular and symbolic sculpture, its fame was amplified in the late 19th century when it was reproduced in bronze as a limited edition by Ferdinand Barbedienne in four sizes. The present example being the largest of these editions.

The Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE marked a pivotal Greek victory over the Persians. According to legend, the soldier Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the triumph, shouting “Nike!” (“Victory!”) before collapsing and dying from exhaustion. Earlier, Pheidippides is also said to have run nearly 150 miles from Athens to Sparta in just two days to seek aid against the Persian invasion. This legendary feat immortalized him as a heroic messenger in Greek history and inspired the modern marathon race.

Despite being outnumbered, Greek forces led by Miltiades secured a decisive victory by launching a bold attack on the retreating Persian army. This victory became the foundation of the enduring tale of the soldier of Marathon.

Cortot captures this historic moment, portraying the soldier as he collapses, raising the palm of victory in a gesture of pride and resolve. This embodiment of courage and patriotism reflects Cortot’s mastery of academic classicism.

The representation of Pheidippides as an athletic male nude, emphasizing stoic heroism and idealized form, draws from a rich tradition of classical art in which Cortot was deeply versed. The pose of the figure, with its raised arm, evokes Johan Tobias Sergel’s Dying Othryades, a study exhibited as Sergel’s admission piece to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris in 1779.

Othryades the Spartan, Dying, by Johan Tobias Sergel, c. 1740-1814.Image Public Domain. Sergel presented a plaster piece Othryades the Spartan for admission to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris, January 1779.

The restrained expression of the soldier, contrasting with the dramatic narrative, reflects Cortot’s commitment to classical ideals and echoes the Hellenistic marble head of the Dying Alexander in the Uffizi collection, Florence.

‘Alessandro Magno morente’, Hellenistic Marble Head of The Dying Alexander. Source Wikipedia.

A heroic depiction of sacrifice, and a celebration of antiquity and the classical ideal, Cortot’s masterpiece was to become an iconic sculpture in the 19^th century, inspiring later interpretations like Pradier’s 1852 Soldier of Marathon (Private Collection).  Bronze editions by Barbedienne can be found in anumber of important museum collections including a rare large size (the same as the sculpture we offer) in the  Redwood Library, Newport, Rhode Island, USA (Acc. No. SCU. 013) and a smaller edition in the Louvre (RF 388) acquired in 1881.

A Barbedienne cast of the ‘Soldier of Marathon’, of identical size, in the collection of Redwood Library, Newport, Rhode Island, USA (Acc. No. SCU. 013, Gift of Mrs. George S. Scott Photo © Laure de Margerie, public domain.