Masterpieces

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

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

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

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

Saint-Landry Pillar

First half of the 2nd century