By the size of the work, we measure the size of man
Caricature of Gustave Eiffel, standing between his tower and the Great Pyramid. The pyramid has an inscription on it which reads A la grandeur de l'oeuvre on mesure la grandeur de l'homme, or By the size of the work we measure the size of man.
The above illustration is from the cover of an 1889 issue of Le Central. It shows a caricature of Gustave Eiffel standing in between his Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramid. Inscribed on the pyramid is the phrase A la grandeur de l'oeuvre on mesure la grandeur de l'homme, or By the size of the work we measure the size of man. Of course, by size, the author really means height. It’s a statement on verticality, and it illustrates how the height of these structures is their defining characteristic in the eyes of the public.
The illustration is a commentary on the human need for verticality. First, it judges the two buildings based on their height. By putting the two next to each other with an oversized Eiffel in between them, the author is effectively saying this is taller, so it’s superior. Eiffel’s stance is telling too. He leans on the great pyramid with his left arm, while he puts his right arm around his own tower; the former is beneath him, while the latter is equal to him. It also equates the height of the Eiffel Tower to Eiffel himself, showing the man to be the same size as his tower. This is also symbolic of the inherent value of verticality for his tower. If an Egyptian was pictured, he would be the size of the pyramid, and would be quite small next to Eiffel.
In addition, the reductive nature of the illustration says quite a bit about the importance of height for these buildings. At first glance, it’s a strange comparison to make. The Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramid are separated my millennia, and the nature of each structure is completely different. The only direct link between them is that each was the tallest building in the world when it was built. It’s a loose comparison, and something feels off about it, like the author is taking a cheap shot at the pyramid. A better target would’ve been the Washington Monument, which the Eiffel Tower beat out to become the tallest building in the world. Perhaps the bulk of the Great Pyramid provided more space for the text?
Lastly, a couple thoughts on Eiffel’s expression. He gazes out at the reader with a cool look of contentedness, as if he fully understands his accomplishment. I’ve seen this exact look once before. In school, I had the opportunity to visit the office of Adrian Smith, shortly after he’d left SOM so start up his own shop. One of his last projects before leaving was the Burj Dubai, which was, and still is, the tallest building on earth. He was comparing a couple models of his current projects, and he brought out a model of Burj for comparison. It dwarfed the other models, and as he placed it next to them he gazed at it with the same look that Eiffel has above. In a way, these two men had achieved verticality, and they did it by designing the tallest building on earth.
Check out more posts about the Eiffel Tower here.