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The Sand Museum is closed. Closed: January 6th, 2025 - April 24th, 2025. 16th Exhibition Japan will continue to be exhibited on April 25th.
HOME > Previous Works > The 15th Exhibition: 2024.4.19 - 2025.1.5
We have depicted France's rich history and vibrant artistic culture through our sand sculptures. Embodied by the majestic Palace of Versailles, we invite you to enjoy our intricate works that capture both delicacy and strength.
Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris)
Construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which means "Our Lady" in honor of the Virgin Mary, commenced in 1163 and took about 180 years to complete. The majestic cathedral, decorated with numerous statues and stained glass windows inside, is considered a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. However, part of it was destroyed during the French Revolution in the 18th century and the building fell into disrepair. After Victor Hugo published his novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1831, the value of the cathedral was reconsidered and a restoration was completed. In 1991, the cathedral was registered as a World Heritage site along with other structures along the banks of the Seine. Currently, restoration work is underway to repair damage from a fire that occurred in 2019 and the building is scheduled to reopen in December 2024. This work shows the cathedral as it was before the fire.
The novel "Notre Dame de Paris" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame," is a novel published by Victor Hugo in 1831. The year is 1482. Quasimodo, a bell-ringer at Notre Dame Cathedral, is looked at strangely because of his ugly appearance with a mass over his eyes and a crooked spine. When he meets Esmeralda, a beautiful gypsy dancer, he falls in love with her and learns of human kindness for the first time. However, because she became intimate with the handsome captain of the Royal Guards, she was falsely accused and put on trial for witchcraft. Quasimodo hides Esmeralda in the bell tower of the cathedral, but in spite of her resistance, she is executed and the story comes to a sad end. Sand statues that stand upright, such as the one in Notre Dame, run the risk of collapsing during production. This work also serves as a support to avoid this result.
Paris Views
The world admires the glamorous city of Paris. The Seine River flows through the center of the city, and on its left bank you can see the domed-roofed courthouse and the Conciergerie, which was used as a prison during the French Revolution. The bridge in the foreground is the Pont des Changes, which Napoleon III ordered to be built, and on the right is the Musée d'Orsay, one of the most famous museums in Paris. The Eiffel Tower is in the distant view, and the buildings are in their original configuration. In the work, the chimera statues on the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral on the left and right have been enlarged, and visitors can enjoy the feeling of being transported back in time to view scenes from the balcony with the citizens of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century.
Clovis, King of the Franks
Clovis united the Franks, a Germanic people, and founded the Frankish kingdom in 481. He converted from Christian Arianism, which was the faith of the Germanic tribes, to Athanasianism (later Catholicism), the majority faith of the Romans. The Frankish kingdom, which expanded its power with the backing of the Roman church and the nobility, is considered to be the origin of the name of the country of France, and successive kings are counted from Clovis. In this work, Clovis is being baptized, and the Romanesque-style frame accents the scene, creating an atmosphere of a medieval European religious painting.
The Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War, which began as a dispute between France and England over the succession to the throne and territorial disputes, lasted from 1339 to 1453. Although England had the upper hand in the first half of the war, the situation reversed when King Charles VII of France ascended to the throne in 1422, and the war ended with a French victory. In this work, the heavy armor of the soldiers and the texture of the cloth over the bodies are realistically sculpted, and together with the fierce battle scene in the background, the work expresses the unsettled atmosphere of medieval Europe. The shield on the left is the lily emblem of the French royal family, and on the right is the English banner seal, which combines three lions and a lily to represent the "King of England and France."
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc appeared at the end of the Hundred Years War and led France to victory. The pious village girl was 16 years old when she received a divine oracle and advised King Charles VII. From there, she became a symbol of the battlefield, leading the army and boosting morale. In this sand sculpture, the foreground displays the imposing figure who recaptured the stronghold city from the British in the ``Battle of Orléans,'' and in the background is the figure that was executed two years later during a heresy trial. The contrasting composition of light and shadow dramatically depicts a life span of only 19 years. Twenty-five years after her death, she was canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church in 1920.
Absolutism
Absolutism is a system of governance in which the king has absolute power, and was established in Western Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. In France, it reached its height during the reign of Louis XIV, the "Sun King," who reigned for 72 years. As indicated by the famous phrase "I am the State," Louis XIV expanded his territory by waging wars at own initiative. He built the sumptuous Palace of Versailles in the suburbs of Paris, moved the royal palace to house nobles and bureaucrats, and concentrated power in one place. In his later years, however, he fell into financial difficulties due to the high cost of war. In this work, Louis XIV, with the nobles in the background, is sculpted as a dignified figure, displaying his golden age.
French Revolution
The reign of Louis XVI, who ascended to the throne in the late 18th century, was burdened with debts from the foreign wars that had continued since XIV, while at the same time the extravagant spending of Queen Marie Antoinette and others was threatening the financial security of the kingdom. The king attempted to resolve these financial difficulties with new taxes, but the people protested. The people rose up against the king's armed repression and the French Revolution broke out in 1789. The people demanded freedom and equality, including the abolition of privileges for the clergy and nobility, and royal power was suspended. One by one, Louis XVI and other members of royalty and nobility were tried, convicted, and guillotined. This work contrasts the vigor of the people gathered in Revolution Square, the site of numerous executions, with the elegant figures of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette prior to the Revolution.
Gardens of Versailles - Bacchus Fountain
Considered a masterpiece of French-style gardens, the vast gardens of the Palace of Versailles contain approximately 1,400 fountains and are decorated with the sumptuous and ornate Baroque-style sculptures loved by Louis XIV. On the other hand, the delicate and graceful Rococo-style decorations and furnishings from the reign of Louis XV also coexist in the palace. This sculpture is of one of the fountains, with a figure of the Roman god Bacchus, the god of wine, placed in the center, surrounded by curving Rococo reliefs. The space is decorated with water effects, expressing the glamorous court culture.
The Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles, built by Louis XIV, is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and a testament to the heyday of the Bourbon dynasty. The exterior walls are made of red brick and cream-colored hewn stone, some of which gleam with gold ornaments. The palace has more than 700 rooms, including the royal apartments, chapels, theaters, and the Hall of Mirrors, which overwhelmed guests with its lavish decorations. Louis XIV demonstrated his power by opening his extravagant palace and gardens to the public. This palace has influenced many of the palaces built around the world since the 18th century. The background of this work is reminiscent of the ceiling paintings of the palace, with a sculpture of Apollo, the sun god of Greek mythology, ascending to the heavens on a chariot. In order to express the vast scale of the palace, the composition is based on the one-point perspective used in paintings, and the details are meticulously sculpted.
Coronation of Napoleon
In the midst of the social turmoil of the French Revolution, the citizens were looking for a new leader. The young military genius Napoleon appeared on the scene, suppressed the riots in Paris, and became a hero of the Revolution. He was also active in expeditions to Italy and Egypt, and in 1799, at the age of 30, he established a regency government and declared the end of the Revolution. This work is based on David's "The Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine," a masterpiece in the Louvre, and depicts the majestic space of Notre Dame Cathedral. While paintings depict the crowning of the Empress, the sand sculpture depicts the crowning of Napoleon himself. The sand sculpture emphasizes the glory of Napoleon, who had a great influence on the later French nation.
French Literature - Les Miserables
The Victor Hugo novel "Les Misérables" was published in 1862. The main character is Jean Valjean, a former prisoner. He had resented society, but is converted by a touch of unconditional love, and leads an eventful life while helping others. The heroine, Cosette, is modeled in the cover picture of the novel in the center of the work. On the right is the scene in which Valjean meets the young Cosette, who is being abused as a maid. On the left is the scene where the grown Cosette's lover Marijus is seriously injured in a riot and escapes to the sewers with Valjean's help. The work delicately depicts the expressions of people living difficult lives amidst the unsettled social conditions of the first half of the 19th century, including revolution and war.
French Forest
The beautiful and vast forests of France are fascinating places that have nurtured a variety of rich cultures. These forests have been the setting for fairy tales and stories since ancient times, and were once the hunting grounds of royalty and aristocrats. In this work, deer, bears, wild boars, and other animals that inhabit the forest are vividly depicted, while owls, bobcats, and other small animals are hidden in the lush foliage. In the distance, the majestic Alps soar into the distance. In the foreground, Louis XIV and his hunters on a hunting trip are sculpted, giving the work a narrative quality.
French Art - Liberty Leading the People
The famous painting "Liberty Leading the People" by the 19th century French artist Delacroix, owned by the Louvre Museum. The painting depicts the July Revolution that took place in Paris in 1830. It was a civil revolution against the Bourbon dynasty, which was restored in 1814 after the downfall of Napoleon, and is also called the "Three Glorious Days." The painting dramatically depicts citizens surviving the upheaval, and the tricolor flag which originated during the French Revolution and the symbolic female figure Mariane are also shown. In this work, the dynamism of this masterpiece of Romanticism is expressed in a powerful composition that only sculpture can achieve.
Belle Epoque
From the end of the 19th century until 1914, pre-World War I France is known as the "Belle Époque" (the good times). As symbolized by the completion of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Exposition of 1900, the lives of citizens became more affluent. In the world of art, new forms were created with an awareness of the new era. It was during this period that Art Nouveau, as represented by Mucha, became popular. In this work, the motif of "The Bar at Folies Bergère," a painting by Duhart Manet, is used in the foreground, and the image of a dance hall, a social gathering place for citizens and painters, is combined in the background to express the glamorous atmosphere of the period.
Free France
During World War II, when France was occupied by Nazi Germany, the government-in-exile "Free France" was formed in London, England in 1940. General Charles de Gaulle, a leading figure in the movement, addressed the nation, via radio from his exile, regarding the resistance movement against the Nazis. After the "Liberation of Paris" in August 1944, when the German army retreated, he was honored as a hero for rescuing the nation, both in name and in reality, at a parade in front of the Arc de Triomphe. This work represents the dignity and charisma of de Gaulle on these two historical occasions.
France: a Sightseeing Paradise
France attracts the most international tourists in the world. The charm of France is endless, with its rich nature, resplendent culture, and history known to all. In the center of the work is the "Grand Elephant," a giant mechanical elephant 12 meters high and weighing approximately 48 tons, created by a group of French artists. On the left is "Château de Chenonceau," one of the ancient castles in the Loire Valley World Heritage Site, and on the right is "Mont Saint-Michel," a Catholic monastery where sightseers get the illusion that the structure is floating on the sea at high tide. In the background, Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the European Alps, and the Papal Palace of Avignon were added to create a design that meshes French tourist attractions together in one frame.
French Fashion
Women were freed from the corset at the beginning of the 20th century, when modernization led to women's advancement in society. After World War II, Christian Dior introduced the "New Look," characterized by a narrowed waist and flared skirts. This feminine style, highly sought after at the time, was said to be a symbol of peace. This work uses simple shapes to express symbols of France's fashion culture, which always creates cutting-edge fashion, such as those found at Paris Fashion Week.
French Food Culture
French cuisine is one of the three major cuisines in the world. Originally a simple court cuisine of baked ingredients, in the 16th century Italian influence expanded the scope of French cuisine and brought tableware and eating manners with it. After the French Revolution, chefs left the court and opened restaurants in the cities, and the common people were able to enjoy French cuisine. The term "gastronomy" was then coined, and cooking came to be thought of as a culture and art form. French cuisine, created with delicate presentation and sophisticated cooking techniques, is loved around the world and continues to evolve through the efforts of talented chefs.
Sport in France
2024. Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum, Tottori