The Third Republic (1870-1914) was an era of peace in France. In 1884, people were looking forward to the Universal Exposition (World’s Fair) of 1889, celebrating the centennial of the beginning of the French Revolution. The public adored Victor Hugo, and when he died, one year after this bust was made, he was buried in the Pantheon in Paris, near the tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau.
