The imperial barge of Napoleon, with a gilded, resplendent Neptune astride its bow, is the first and largest object visitors see at the French National Navy Museum. The 59-foot vessel is an impressive sight, with its 22 white oars raised in perfect alignment, each blade emblazoned with a different golden fish. The vessel was built in 1811 and the emperor used it only once. The elaborate decoration of the barge makes an apt introduction to the artistic quality of the collections awaiting visitors.
Paris celebrates the arts, and the museum has adopted this perspective in its exhibits. Notable artifacts are present: a rare 1880 Whitehead torpedo, a tarred straw flat hat from 1850, and an armored diving suit dated 1882. However, visitors will find few of the cannon, flags, and uniforms traditionally associated with naval museums. Instead, the exhibits are grounded in the brush of the painter, the chisel and mallet of the sculptor, and the tiny tools and magnifying glass of the model ship builder.
In the light and airy art galleries, magnificent oil paintings depict French warships at sea, in single-ship or fleet combat, attacking ports, enduring storms, or, in one unhappy instance, blowing up. The excellent audio guide, provided free with admission, is particularly helpful here. It calls attention to Louis-Philippe Crépin’s painting The Battle of Trafalgar (1805), which depicts the exact moment when Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson—in his full-dress uniform—was struck by a bullet fired at HMS Victory by a French sharpshooter from the Redoubtable. Without the audio prompts, a visitor could otherwise miss the two small figures in the large canvas.
A remarkable series of paintings of French seaports by Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714–1789) occupies one room. Commissioned by the king and working on five-by-eight-foot canvases, Vernet captured various aspects of life on the waterfronts of Marseille, Toulon, and other ports. Works by other artists depict a variety of non-naval subjects including Mediterranean tuna fishing and the miserable condition of seasick landlubbers.
The maritime sculptures display the skill of the artisans who created the figureheads and carvings that decorated the bows and sterns of French sailing ships. Most impressive is the stunning gilded stern of the galley La Reale de France, built about 1688. Its graceful sternboards, rising some 20 feet above the floor, are decorated with figures of Apollo, nymphs, and magnificent tritons. Other sculptures, including a full-size Hercules and Aphrodite, and an imposing 8-foot figurehead bust of Henri IV made from Swiss stone pine, demonstrate the carvers’ art.
The displays of ship models rival that of any museum in Europe. The oldest of these, dockyard models from the 1700s, show the details of framing and planking required by shipwrights who used them as their blueprints.
Models of French warships from the Age of Fighting Sail are found throughout the museum; many are beautiful in themselves. A model of the 74-gun L’Achille reveals minutely detailed decks, classic figurehead, and unfurled sails. Others had a utilitarian purpose; Le Royal Louis, some 12 feet long, introduced new sailors to a ship’s complicated running and standing rigging. Models such as the 9-foot 1859 armored frigate Gloire, with her three masts and screw propeller, document the technological development of French warships.
France’s 20th-century warships are grouped by conflict: World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. A display of World War II battleships compares France’s Richelieu (35,000 tons) with the USS Missouri (45,000 tons). The 8-foot model of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, her flight deck crowded with aircraft, steams in company with three escorts. All the models are contained within attractive cases. At the back of the museum, visitors can watch highly skilled technicians in a well-equipped shop as they repair and restore the museum’s vast miniature fleet.
The French National Navy Museum is located directly across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower and offers a splendid view of the landmark as well as the city. A visit could easily last two or three enjoyable hours. English speakers will appreciate the fluent translations that accompany many of the exhibits. Unlike most Parisian museums, the entry line is short. The Trocadéro Metro stop serves the museum.
French National Navy Museum
Palais de Chaillot, 17 place du Trocadéro, Paris
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 1100 to 1800; Saturday and Sunday 1100 to 1900.
Admission: Regular admission is 8.5 € for adults. Discounted tickets of 6 € are available for some visitors including students and nonresidents of the European Union. Free for children under 18. Admission is included in the Paris Museum Pass.
Website: www.musee-marine.fr
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Mr. Galvani was the director of three museums during his 31-year museum career. He served as a surface warfare officer in the Navy and retired as a captain. He lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.