THE PARISIAN
PUBLIC BENCHES

But what exactly was happening on that May 18, 2021, in the traditionally hushed rooms 5 and 6 of this auction house in the 9th arrondissement of Paris? An exceptional sale? Not quite. But a very Parisian sale indeed.

Dubbed “Paris, mon amour”, it was orchestrated by auctioneer Christophe Lucien, who on that day dispersed emblematic pieces that perfectly captured the essence of life in the capital: paintings, drawings, prints, and a few other magnificent pieces. For instance, the original scores of the legendary songs “Mon manège à moi” and “Mon truc en plumes”, signed by Jean Constantin. Or the ceramic façade of the famous restaurant “L’Assiette au beurre”. Beautiful bidding prospects were on the horizon.

For the more modest, one purchase seemed more within their reach. It was a public bench estimated at 400 euros. But that was without counting on a slight dramatic turn of events, which would occur just as Maître Lucien’s ivory gavel suspended its flight… There was the bench, withdrawn from the auction to be sold by private treaty.

Who was the mysterious buyer? A Saudi prince? A Russian oligarch? No, it was a Parisian collective that had put together a kitty to keep its illustrious bench in Paris. “Mr. and Mrs. Everyone”, men and women deeply attached to their environment, who “revolt” when the “guts” of the capital are touched, nostalgic souls, lovers, politicians too… In short, it is a whole world losing its bearings in the face of their Paris moving entirely too fast for their liking.

It is true that a bench in a city is a powerful symbol of living together, of an unexpected encounter or, conversely, of a long-awaited rendezvous… Or of an improbable exchange that will forever be associated with a moment in your life. It is also the discovery of a job in the classifieds, a book you have just started reading, a teenage flirtation, a lost neighbor found by pure chance, the forbidden joy of feeding a few pigeons, the need to regain your senses after a party, and for some to more humbly enjoy the space they lack at home, and more prosaically still, a place to sleep… And then, here, a bench for the simple desire to sit in quiet contemplation!

And if you have a personal history with this bench, well you guessed it, this bench also has a history. Let us return then to the time when, according to imperial will around the 1860s, Baron Haussmann, prefect of Paris, rebuilt the heart of the capital. Buildings sprang up, with streets, avenues, squares, monuments, and beautiful parks. Everything had to be welcoming, practical, beautiful, even luxurious. Yes, Paris would be the most beautiful city in the world. So they set to work installing streetlamps, bandstands, fountains and… benches!

Around the Baron worked the very best designers, architects, artists, and engineers. Among them, the architect Gabriel Davioud. He is the designer of the Paris bench. This Gabriel had everything going for him: a golden education at the School of Decorative Arts, a notable stint at the School of Fine Arts, a Prix de Rome… All this earned him the distinct honor of joining this circle of artists and experts redesigning Paris.

And he would accomplish many things: the Châtelet, the Théâtre de la Ville, the Palais du Trocadéro, that was him. Him again, the unmissable Saint Michel fountain and the wrought-iron gates of Parc Monceau… And still him, the newsstands and his famous double-sided bench! What a truly brilliant idea!

Which has inspired so much… from Brassens to Renaud, from Flaubert to Apollinaire, from Prévert to Aragon, not forgetting the painter Caillebotte… So inspired that it has literally become a legend. Where it is still wonderful to read, make a phone call, kiss, eat on the go, chat, sober up, and sometimes lie down… Come on, next time, you might just take a little break there, right on the Davioud! And why not around the statue of Marianne at the Place de la République, where 17 examples have triumphantly made their return!