The Thumb by César

It was in 1965 that César Baldaccini, a sculptor from Marseille, had the idea to make a plaster cast of his thumb for an exhibition. That 40cm reproduction turned out to be the first in a long series. In 1989, Paris’ business district decided to augment its collection of outdoor works. Measuring 12m high and weighing 18 tons, The Pouce in La Défense is the most massive of all the ‘Thumbs’. The bronze piece enthroned near the CNIT is, to this day, the artist’s most famous work. It exemplifies New Realism, a movement similar to Pop Art.