This statue by François Cogné represents Albert I at the helm as he guides his ship through the storm, showing his dual leadership role as both a Prince of the Seas, and a Prince of Monaco. Cogné took his inspiration for this piece from the Scholar Prince’s own book, The Career of Sailor, fir...
This statue by François Cogné represents Albert I at the helm as he guides his ship through the storm, showing his dual leadership role as both a Prince of the Seas, and a Prince of Monaco. Cogné took his inspiration for this piece from the Scholar Prince’s own book, The Career of Sailor, first published in 1914 and republished in 1951. The cost of the sculpture was funded by public subscription, and it was formally unveiled in the presence of Prince Rainier III on 11 April 1951 for Monaco’s National Day - which would be celebrated on 19 November from the following year onward.
François-Victor Cogné was born in 1870 in Aubin (Aveyron), and died in 1952. A pupil of Louis-Ernest Barrias and Denys Puech, he excelled at the Salon des Artistes Français where he was awarded an ‘honourable mention’ in 1900, before later winning the bronze medal in 1921. A renowned portrait artist, he produced a number of official busts. His commissions included statues of the Great War heroes Marshal Joffre, Marshal Pétain, and Georges Clémenceau. The monument dedicated to the Clémenceau, the “Father of Victory”, was unveiled in 1932, and stands opposite the Grand Palais in Paris. Cogné was made a Commander of the Order of Saint Charles by Prince Rainier III on 13 April 1951. He died in 1952 in Paris, a year after the statue of Prince Albert I was officially unveiled.
