Le Centaure

Le Centaure stands at Place Michel-Debré in Paris’s sixth arrondissement as a monumental bronze work by César. The sculpture rises nearly five metres above the square. It presents a centaur with a horse’s body and a human torso, combining myth with César’s assembled forms. César’s own face forms the figure’s distinctive head. Inside the centaur’s armour, a miniature Statue of Liberty adds another image to the sculpture’s layered construction. A peace dove appears in the centaur’s left hand. A visor on the forehead refers to Picasso, whom César honoured as a friend and artistic master. Picasso’s presence remains visible throughout this bronze sculpture. Spiralling lines and broken planes shape the surface, while carefully formed hands and feet recall classical statuary. Bronze binds these elements into a single construction. Le Centaure reflects César’s Nouveau Réalisme practice and his fascination with horses. Paris gives the work a setting among architectural details. The face carries layered slices, evoking vanitas and memento mori in the classical tradition.