Le Pouce de César – monumental sculpture
Le Pouce – The Thumb is a monumental sculpture representing the thumb of the renowned artist César Baldaccini. It is located in the La Défense district, on Place Carpeaux, behind the CNIT tower and near the Grande Arche de la Defense.
César created an initial version of his thumb in 1965 for a Parisian art gallery, as part of an exhibition exploring the theme of the hand. This inaugural creation was 40 cm high and made of translucent pink plastic. It was sold for the impressive sum of 1.2 million euros at FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair).
The resounding success of this original work prompted César to reproduce his thumb in different sizes, colours, and materials, with installations found all over the world, from Marseille to Koblenz and Seoul. Commissioned by EPAD (Établissement public pour l’aménagement de la Défense – Public Establishment for the Development of La Défense), César undertook the creation of a new version of Le Pouce.
This 12-metre-high version weighs 18 tons. Cast in iron, it is the largest of all the thumb sculptures designed by César and was unveiled on June 16, 1994. It was created using the 3D pantographic technique, based on an enlarged cast model of César’s thumb. The precision of the details is striking: the enlargement allows one to discern the tiniest fingerprints and the texture of the skin.
Le Pouce de César symbolises human superiority, as it is the finger essential for grasping, distinguishing us from other animal species. Many also see it as a phallic symbol. All interpretations are valid!
César Baldaccini
César Baldaccini (1921-1998) was simply known as “César.”
He defined himself as an artist of Nouveau Réalisme, a movement that emerged in 1960 and was inspired by the Surrealist movement of the 1920s.
Nouveau Réalisme aimed to reinterpret, repurpose, and elevate everyday objects, thus transcending their ordinary nature.
Among his contemporaries in this movement were his friends Jean Tinguely and his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle. Together, they collaborated on various projects, including the iconic Fontaine Stravinsky near the Centre Pompidou.
César is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery, where his tomb, as you can guess, is quite unusual!
Directions: Place Carpeaux, Puteaux, 92800
Metro: Esplanade de la Défense on Line 1 or RER A
Coordinates Le Pouce: Lat 48.892969 – Long 2.237915
