Masterpieces

Carved stone block: full-length figure of a man facing forward, dressed in a long Roman toga, holding a spear. Front photograph.

Pillar of the Boatmen, stone of Jupiter, Cl. 18602 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi

3D

3D

3D

3D

Carved stone block: bull with two birds on its back and one on its head, in front of a tree. Front photograph.

Pillar of the Boatmen, stone of Jupiter, Cl. 18602 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi

Carved stone block: full-length figure of a man in profile brandishing a knife next to a tree. Front photograph.

Pillar of the Boatmen, stone of Jupiter, Cl. 18602 © GrandPalaisRmn / Jean-Gilles Berizzi

Pillar of the Boatmen

Description

On display - room 1

Between 14 and 37

Antiquity

The pillars presented here are Gallo-Roman votive architectural elements.

Dating from the 1st century, the Pillar of the Boatmen, discovered in the 18th century under Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, was an offering from the boatmen of the Seine to the Roman emperor Tiberius, who reigned over Gaul (a Roman province) at the time. 

Their allegiance nevertheless remained a prudent one, as the pillar, also known as the stone of dedication, features images from both the Celtic pantheon and that of the new Roman ruler, in a rare example of syncretism.

The fragments of the Saint-Landry Pillar, discovered in 1829 during landscaping work on the Ile de la Cité, depict only Roman divinities.

From one artwork to another

Carved stone block: musician in profile playing a long horn. Front photograph.

Saint Landry Pillar, Musician, rose window and leaf motif, Cl. 18607 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Saint-Landry Pillar

First half of the 2nd century

Médaillon tissé représentant une femme qui tend une coupe à un serpent enroulé autour d’un arbre. Un homme attrape un agneau. Vue de face.

Jason et Médée, Cl. 22813 © GrandPalaisRmn / Gérard Blot

Jason et Médée

IVe siècle - Ve siècle