Ducos de la Haille’s fresco
The fresco decorating the edges of the Forum, located in the heart of the Palais de la Porte Dorée and classified as a historic monument since 1987, was the work of Pierre Henri Étienne Ducos de la Haille (1889-1972), winner of the Prix de Rome for painting in 1922 and a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts until 1949, who was among the painters who took part in the revival of the fresco technique in the early 20 th century. The orders given to the architect of the Palais, Albert Laprade, were to portray the “contribution made by France to Overseas” on the walls of the function room, a place where galas and official events were held during the 1931 Colonial Exposition, with a décor stretching over more than 600 m², created by the painter, his seven assistants, whose names can be read to the left of the entrance, along with his students. We know that the architect of the Palais, Albert Laprade, chose Ducos de la Haille for the Palais décor design partly because the painter had stayed in Algeria during his military service, from 1912 to 1914. As can be seen in the archives, Laprade had many discussions with the painter on the iconographic programme (the blindfold over the eyes of Justice, the skyscraper over the legs of America, the excessive number of sailing ships…) and the relations between the two men suffered as a result, although Ducos did take into account certain remarks by the architect, particularly regarding the central painting.