L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped ! C'est magnifique !

The artist, Christo first made a photomontage of the Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped in 1962. He and Jeanne-Claude (his wife and life partner) had recently begun creating monumental works of art in public spaces.

The years went by and Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009. But it wasn't until 2019 that Christo obtained authorization for their Arc de Triomphe project. It was planned for 2020.

Unfortunately the project was delayed because of the pandemic and Christo died in May 2020. However, it was Christo and Jeanne-Claude's wishes that their artworks in progress be carried out by their team after their deaths.

So here is it! L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped. A temporary artwork, on view from September 18 to October 3, 2021.

The cost of the project is around 14 million euros. It has been totally financed through the sale of Christo's original works: collages, preparatory drawings, scale models, works from the 50s and 60s, and lithographs. As with all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's projects, none of the financing has come from public funds.