Olympic mystery solved: The secret of the Paris 2024 logo
PARIS — At first glance, the logo for the Paris Olympics appears straightforward enough: the silhouette of a flame against a gold background. But look a little closer, open your mind a touch, and a new image will take shape.
Viewed from a slightly different perspective, the flickers of flame turn to locks of hair. The lips become visible. And what was a flame is now the image of a woman with the slightest hint of a smile. This is Marianne, an enduring symbol of France since the French Revolution.
“Marianne, symbol of the French Republic, represents the same values we find in sport, the Olympics and the Paralympics — humanism, fraternity, generosity and sharing,” the Paris Olympics organizers said in announcing the logo. “Marianne is a familiar face in French culture that is omnipresent in day-to-day life, appearing on stamps and outside every town hall for example. She reflects our desire to organize the Games for the people, in close collaboration with the people.”
Marianne appears in artwork, on stamps and coins, and in sculpture all over France. She’s often seen wearing a phrygian cap, the distinctive headwear that serves as the inspiration for the 2024 Olympics’ mascots. She first began to draw widespread public acclaim in the late 18th century, when the concept of a “goddess of liberty” was attractive to a nation looking to throw off an old, crushing monarchy. She’s variously been depicted in poses ranging from noble and restrained, to violent and aggressive, to — in the Olympic logo — proud and satisfied.
Her presence in the logo itself carries a range of meanings. The 1900 Paris Olympics marked the first time women competed in the Games, and this year will mark the first time that men and women will compete in equal numbers.
