Sculpture and Architecture on the Façade

From here, we will walk clockwise around the Arc, starting from the side facing the Champs-Élysées, to look at its major reliefs and sculptures one by one. Stand facing the Arc from the Champs-Élysées side.

The Arc de Triomphe is a Neoclassical monument, a reinterpretation of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Just as Roman emperors used buildings to display their achievements and power, Napoleon wanted architecture to showcase his own. The Arc drew particular inspiration from the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Janus in ancient Rome, which is why it resembles them so closely.