Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Encyclopedia
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters
) is an Order
of France
, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture
, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite
by President Charles de Gaulle
in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.
Members are not, however, limited to French nationals. Recipients have included numerous foreign luminaries.
Foreign recipients are admitted into the Order, "without condition of age."
The Order has three grades:
The médaille of the Order is an eight-point, green-enameled asterisk, in gilt
for commanders and officers, in silver for knights; the obverse central disc has the letters "A" and "L" on a white enamelled background, surrounded by a golden ring emblazoned with the phrase "République Française." The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne
on a golden background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the words "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres." The commander's badge is topped by a gilt twisted ring.
The ribbon of the Order is green with four white stripes.
Arts and letters
Arts and letters is the fine arts and literature, considered together, sometimes also including performing arts and liberal arts as well. It is not precisely defined, and may include almost any cross-section of fine arts, performing arts, literature, and traditional academic disciplines other than...
) is an Order
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture
Minister of Culture (France)
The Minister of Culture is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national museums and monuments; promoting and protecting the arts in France and abroad; and managing the national archives and regional "maisons de culture"...
, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
by President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.
Background
French government guidelines provide that citizens of France must be at least thirty years old, respect French civil law, and must have, "significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance."Members are not, however, limited to French nationals. Recipients have included numerous foreign luminaries.
Foreign recipients are admitted into the Order, "without condition of age."
The Order has three grades:
- Commandeur (commander) — medallion worn on necklet; up to twenty recipients a year.
- Officier (officer) — medallion worn on ribbon with rosetteRosette (decoration)A rosette is a small, circular device that is presented with a medal. The rosettes are primarily for situations where wearing the medal is deemed inappropriate. Rosettes are issued in nations such as France, Italy and Japan...
on left breast; up to sixty recipients a year. - Chevalier (knight) — medallion worn on ribbon on left breast; up to 200 recipients a year.
The médaille of the Order is an eight-point, green-enameled asterisk, in gilt
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
for commanders and officers, in silver for knights; the obverse central disc has the letters "A" and "L" on a white enamelled background, surrounded by a golden ring emblazoned with the phrase "République Française." The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne
Marianne
Marianne is a national emblem of France and an allegory of Liberty and Reason. She represents the state and values of France, differently from another French cultural symbol, the "Coq Gaulois" which represents France as a nation and its history, land, culture, and variety of sport disciplines in...
on a golden background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the words "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres." The commander's badge is topped by a gilt twisted ring.
The ribbon of the Order is green with four white stripes.