The Sacred Grove, by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1886-89), © Pascal Lévy
For centuries, the Sorbonne has acted as a symbol of intellectual excellence in the heart of Paris, a place where knowledge, culture, and intellectual exchange converge. Today, through the Fondation Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, that legacy continues. The Sorbonne Interuniversity Library just recently acquired two original preparatory studies, by the renowned French artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, created for his iconic mural The Sacred Grove, located in the University’s Grand Lecture Hall. With your support, these artworks can be preserved and returned to their rightful place—at the heart of the Sorbonne.
A Living Legacy: The History of the Sorbonne and Its Foundation
Following the student protests May 1968 in France, reforms on education led to the division of the Sorbonne into 13 distinct universities. Among them was the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne—now the largest university in Paris—renowned for its multidisciplinary approach spanning Economics and Management, the Humanities, and Legal and Political Sciences.
Despite the separation, the Sorbonne Interuniversity Library (BIS, fig.1) remains a shared institution, welcoming students from all Sorbonne universities. Its collection continues to expand through the acquisition of rare books, research archives, and artworks that reflect the school’s rich history, helping to preserve centuries-old heritage. Located in a historic building designed by architect Henri-Paul Nénot, the BIS has remained in its original location in Paris’s 5th arrondissement since 1897 and continues to inspire many students every day.
Founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon, chaplain to King Louis IX, the Sorbonne is the oldest university in France. From its medieval origins as a theology college, the university quickly asserted itself as the largest cultural and scientific hub in Europe, renowned for its prestigious professors, rich libraries, and taste for innovation, notably creating France’s first printing press in 1469.
Established in 2017, Fondation Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is currently chaired by Anne Levade, an eminent professor of public law at the Sorbonne, and managed by Anne-Sophie Coppin, a historian and an alumna of the university. Its mission is to support and promote projects connected to the research chairs, researchers, and students, as well as the architectural and heritage sites in which these projects take place. Since its creation, the foundation has been working to ensure that one of Europe’s oldest universities remains not only a historic institution, but a living, thriving place of learning that sets future generations for success.
However, some of the Sorbonne’s treasures lie beyond ideas and intellectual capacities, within its walls.
Bringing Puvis de Chavannes Back to the Sorbonne
Towering over the grand lecture hall of the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne campus lies one of the most iconic works of 19th-century French painting: The Sacred Grove (fig. 2), a monumental fresco realized by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes between 1886 et 1889. Through its well-thought-out tones, symbolic elements, and characters, the Sacred Grove gathers allegorical figures representing Philosophy, Eloquence, Science, and History, presided over by a feminine figure symbolizing the Sorbonne itself. The scene summarizes the type of education offered by the university and was commissioned to depict and illustrate the Sorbonne’s intellectual excellence.
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) was one of the most important symbolist painters of his time. Known for his works in decorating the Panthéon, the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, and the Boston Public Library, his legacy links the Sorbonne to a broader transatlantic tradition of artistic creation and beauty. Before completing his work on the mural, Puvis de Chavannes made various sketches, to orient him in his transfer to the wall.
One of his major preparatory sketches, The Allegory of the Sorbonne (1889), is currently on view at the Metropolitain Museum in New York. Created during Puvis de Chavannes’ final year working on the Sorbonne mural, the artwork still bears visible grid lines used to transfer the composition onto the lecture hall wall.
Recently, the BIS had the rare chance of acquiring two preparatory studies (fig. 3 and fig. 4) made by Puvis de Chavannes for The Sacred Grove.
The Personnage Agenouillé (Fig. 3), or Kneeling Character, portrays a young figure at the center of the Sacred Grove, offering an empty cup to an older man, who symbolizes wisdom. This evocative scene illustrates students’ thirst for knowledge and the Sorbonne’s enduring role in nurturing and sustaining that intellectual pursuit.
The second preparatory sketch, La Physique et la Géométrie (Fig. 4), or Physics and Geometry, depicts students working together to solve a complex problem. Visible on the right side of the final mural, it highlights one of the academic disciplines taught at the Sorbonne, as well as the university’s commitment to cultivating analytical and problem-solving skills.
These two sketches, recently secured by the Sorbonne Interuniversity Library, now require financial backing to be formally integrated into the Sorbonne’s permanent collection.
The foundation is seeking $46,000 ($ 23,000 a piece) to fully cover their costs.
Help the Fondation 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne bring Puvis de Chavannes’s studies home and safeguard the university’s cultural legacy!
