Perched between the Faculty of Law and the Avenue du Général de Gaulle, Athena rises. This monolithic statue stands tall. It is crafted from shell limestone of a warm ocher hue. Athena faces east.
The sculptor François Cacheux created Athena. He was director of the École des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg from 1959 to 1989. Cacheux conceived Athena, originally named Pallas Athéné, between 1965 and 1968.
Standing at 6 meters tall, Athena is a striking figure. She is a slender young woman. Her hair is tied back. She wears a close-fitting garment. She holds the edges of her garment in both hands.
Athena’s base features different recessed motifs on each side. A serpent faces north. A tree faces west. An owl faces south. The inscription “ATHÉNA” marks the east side.
Athena, the Greek goddess, was born a warrior. She sprang fully armed from the head of Zeus. Athena inherited reason from her mother Métis. She turned to peaceful pursuits. She became the goddess of arts and literature. Despite her virginity, Athena had a son. He was hidden in a chest guarded by a serpent. Her emblem is the owl. It symbolizes intelligence. Athena is said to have given her name to Athens. She offered the city an olive tree. This symbolized prosperity.
Cacheux signed the work “CACHEUX” on the west face of the base. The statue’s placement sparks thought. It parallels another Strasbourg representation of Athena. That one tops the Palais Universitaire. It is flanked by allegories of science and nature. Athena prompts questions about symbols in the urban space. At the Place de l’Université, the goddess greets visitors. She stands on an axis. It runs from the Palais du Rhin through the university gardens to the Observatory.
Here at the Esplanade, Athena stands in Place d’Athènes. She turns her back to the Faculty of Law. The axis extends from Place du Foin. It ends at a blank wall on Rue de Londres, facing the rising sun.
The statue’s unveiling was overshadowed. The events of 1968 disrupted the official inauguration. Pierre Pflimlin, then mayor, wished to honor Greece. He hoped to honor Secretary-General Modinos.
Cacheux was commissioned to create a 6-meter-high monolithic figure. It would stand on a 2-meter cubed base. The stone, weighing 75 tons, came from Bierry-les-Belles-Fontaines. Cacheux shaped the stone. He used a model approved by Strasbourg in 1965. Reduced to 35 tons, it was placed on its base by a crane. Cacheux surrounded it with Italian poplars.
Athena’s pose is slightly swayed. She is not depicted as springing armed from Zeus’s head. She is eternally a maiden. Her symbols include the owl. It signifies intelligence. The serpent is in her temple in Athens. It is also a symbol of intelligence. The olive tree grows where Athena sets her lance. Cacheux sculpted these in “intaglio”. This is like Egyptians working in the sun. The carvings are drawings readable in sunlight.
Architect Stoskopf created a shallow pool. It acts as a mirror. The black bottom simulates depth. This enhances safety.
In 2000, the installation of sculptures added a contrast. Greco’s small bather was placed near Cacheux’s Athena. The bather’s exaggerated sway is emphasized. Jean-Marie Krauth positioned the bather deliberately. It extends the line of the massive, severe Athena. This contrast is heightened. The base is diagonal. It is the only one not aligned with the avenue. Athena is a testament to art. It is a fusion of history and symbolism in Strasbourg.