The Eiffel Tower

(airbrush painting by dianne curtis)

 

I made this poster about 10 years ago when I was doing research for a graduate art history class. This was a great choice of icons for a paper because there is so much history and analysis behind this structure. First of all, this airbrush painting was created to mimic the original poster for the world's fair that was held in Paris in 1889, the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. The Eiffel tower marked the entrance to the fair and was designed to symbolize French Industrial Strength.

Gustave Eiffel was an architectural engineer who designed bridges and he didn't want to put a skin or cover over this structure so he could show off his engineering skill with the beautiful and elaborate trusses. It is designed in an art nouveau style even though it represents the machine age. This is an important point since the world had been experiencing the industrial revolution for over a century by the time the world's fair made its way to Paris. Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill were the star attractions at the fair along with many African artifacts on display from explorations in this region that sparked the French's curiosity.

Ironically enough, this eiffel tower project almost didn't happen. At the end of the industrial revolution, many civilians and artists were disgusted with the mass production that was going on in the factories. They saw the damage cheap goods were doing to their environment and the economy and another famous artist, William Morris, was making an impact on society by teaching the general public about the quality in a hand-made product. Art Noveau (new art) reflected this distaste with bulky geometric shapes that factories were producing and a turn toward organically, naturally shaped objects prompted the public to seek out art in this new style. The entire poster above reflects an organic feel with smooth curvy lines. The tower itself is both organic and geometric in its shape.

Gustave Eiffel was under heavy deadline pressure to get this work of art created by the opening of the fair. It must have stressed him quite a bit when he heard about a group of art nouveau artists protesting its creation. Many artists called it an abomination and pointed out that it would dwarf every structure in Paris. (It still dominates the skyline even today.) There were other artists that actually defended its creation and protested against the protestors. With all this fighting, the city of Paris abandoned the project and left it in the hands of this poor, tired architect. Gustave had to generate funds on his own to create the tower without the help of the city. (Eventually he was reimbursed.)

Since this structure has such an amazing history it is now the pride of Paris. Even though some Parisians will tell you they still believe it's an abomination, they do recognize it to be an important icon for the history of Paris. The Eiffel tower has proven its importance since it was first built. It's not only a beautiful icon, it's also a functional work of art. It has been used as a radio tower since the 1920s and a TV transmission tower since the 1950s.

...and this is how an artist becomes immortal!!!