Grande Caryatid

One of Paris’s lesser-known yet enchanting architectural features is its abundance of caryatids, sculpted female figures used as architectural supports, and atlantids, their male counterparts. Typically found on private mansions, these human-shaped columns have adorned Parisian façades since the 17th century, peaking in popularity during the Second Empire.

Mentioned in Agnes Varda’s documentary short film Les Dites Cariatides (1984), a monumental stone angel stretches across three stories of a 19th century apartment building along 57 Rue de Turbigo in Paris, her wide wings and serene expression presiding over the city below. She is one of the biggest caryatids in all of Paris. Designed by the architect Eugène Demangeat in 1860, the angel softens the Haussmann-style building’s angular corner, her flowing tunic and flattened, wide wings blending gracefully decorating the corner.

This mysterious stone angel’s design can be traced back to Emile-Auguste Delange, a young architect whose idea featured a similar angel that would be built on a lighthouse, guiding sailors through stormy seas. This caught the attention of architectural thinker, writer, and publisher César Daly. Though the lighthouse project was never built, Daly’s praise and publication of Delange’s work helped seed the concept that later found form in stone on Demangeat’s building. 

After more than a century and a half, the angel remains a silent guardian of Rue de Turbigo which is truly a stunning work of art to admire.