- Oscar Wilde died in 1900 - He was first interred in an unremarkable grave in Bagneaux Cemetery in Paris and resided quietly there for nine years... - Brooke_Stewart
- At a dinner at the Ritz Hotel in London, in 1908 the executor of Wilde's estate revealed that he had received an anonymous gift of £2000 from "a lady" to place a suitable monument at Père Lachaise and that this work should be carried out by the brilliant young sculptor, Mr. Jacob Epstein - Brooke_Stewart
- Years later it was revealed that the anonymous donor was Helen Kennard Carew - Brooke_Stewart
- Jacob Epstein based the monument for Wilde on Wilde's poem "The Sphinx." Epstein chipped away at it for over three years - Brooke_Stewart
- When Epstein arrived at the cemetery to apply some final touches, he found his creation wrapped in a shroud. The cemetery conservator had determined that the depiction of the genitalia on the statue was indecent and refused to have the statue revealed for public display - Brooke_Stewart
- Eventually a compromise was reached and a fig leaf/plaque was placed over the offending parts. In 1914 the Egyptian style monument was finally unveiled - Brooke_Stewart
- One night in 1922, a group of students entered the cemetery determined to set things right and free him from his fig leaf. Unfortunately, when they hacked away at the fig leaf a substantial part of the statue's offending parts were severed from the statue - Brooke_Stewart
- The offending genitals (see other notes on this picture) were rumored to have been used by cemetery employees as a paperweight. Their current whereabouts is unknown. - Mr. Kimberly
Monument of Oscar Wilde (LOC)
Bain News Service,, publisher.
Monument of Oscar Wilde
[between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915]
1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.
Notes:
Title from unverified data provided by the Bain News Service on the
negatives or caption cards.
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).
Format: Glass negatives.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain
Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.10698
Call Number: LC-B2- 2433-8
Comments and faves
anonymous_emily, kitsunecaligari, brettbigb, Brad Eshbach, and 32 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Avatara (57 months ago | reply)
A story about another? Oscar Wilde monument: www.keisterphoto.com/cemeteries/tom_latest.ht m
rmcarrier1 (57 months ago | reply)
Wonderful statue.
Brad Eshbach (57 months ago | reply)
this is the monument that is now in Père Lachaise Cemetery?
fr.fr.pot. (57 months ago | reply)
I've a photo of this in my stream taken @ Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise:
Brooke_Stewart (57 months ago | reply)
What a great story about this monument... I had to put the notes- make sure you read the article, there's so much more to the story!!
Poor Oscar!! May he finally rest in peace...
The full article is linked above in the first comment.
Mr. Kimberly (57 months ago | reply)
The grave is well-kissed...
fr.fr.pot. (57 months ago | reply)
Yes--excellent story-- thanks for the notes--
Does any one know why the tomb is kissed so much? I was surprised to see so many lipstick lip prints all over, just like in Mr Kimberly's photo--
zona di fotographia (56 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Photography Paradiso, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Martin Beek (52 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Nineteenth Century English Poetry, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
paperwhite [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)
This is a wonderful addition to the C19 poetry pool!
₪*ClandryP*₪Anima e Respiro (48 months ago | reply)
Please let us admire your beautiful photo on
All About Oscar Wilde
The Wilders' Place on Flickr
bazoftforever (46 months ago | reply)
Oscar Wilde .......http://www.flickr.com/photos/12826779@ N02/1469981912/
rachelmoon (44 months ago | reply)
wiggiewormdog (44 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called soulful group, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
author of so many beautiful fairytale
wiggiewormdog (44 months ago | reply)
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wiggiewormdog (44 months ago | reply)
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wiggiewormdog (44 months ago | reply)
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Blaithin2010 (29 months ago | reply)
when you go to la cimitiere du pere lachaise the guard expects you to buy a map which shows the grave of Jim Morrison of the Doors marked with a red X but actually i was looking for the Jewish section to see the Holocaust memorials.