Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Marianne: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les Mots”?
Artist Statement
I wanted to address what happened to my Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité mural in the 13th district in Paris. I originally created that image in response to the terror attacks at the Bataclan and other parts of Paris in late 2015. At that terrible moment I wanted to create an image of support to show solidarity with Parisians and French people. Freedom, equality, fraternity – those are all things that I think democratic societies value. I intended for it to be interpreted and embraced by french people in a broad sense; however, I'd like to see those actions be meaningful. When I saw the attack on my mural and read some of the meaning behind it, I realized that it was done as a statement to oppose injustice. I side with people who oppose injustice, especially regarding human rights, and my beliefs in peace, harmony, and equality – all of which I work to embody through my art. If this image is used by people that don't incorporate those principles, I disapprove of that. I do not want this image to be hijacked for those who don't believe in its meaning. We're all part of shaping the world the way we want it to be and everyone should play their role, me included, in making sure that those terms are defined through action. That is why I am releasing a new version of the print that says, "actions are more important than words." If we do that properly, I think liberty, equality, and fraternity are all good things to keep in mind and continue to define in the most positive ways possible. For all the times those principles have been abandoned or have not been defined positively, I included a teardrop on Marianne. All of the profits from this new print edition will go to those who are underserved. I'm very opposed to racism, xenophobia, and classism, so I want to support all the people who have struggled under the worst aspects of those three things. I believe in using my art to shed light on issues and support people who do work on the ground for those issues. I hope that this image's best intention can be realized as we work towards a better future. -Shepard Marianne: L'action Vaut Plus Que Les Mots. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 650. $75.
Summary
Marianne: L'action Vaut Plus Que Les Mots is a 2021 screen print by Shepard Fairey responding to the defacement of his Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite mural in Paris, an image he originally made after the 2015 terror attacks. The new version adds the phrase meaning actions are more important than words, with a teardrop on Marianne marking the times those principles were abandoned. Measuring 18 x 24 inches and printed on thick cream Speckletone paper, it was published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 650, signed by Shepard Fairey. It released February 16, 2021 at $75, with profits going to those underserved.
Why It Matters
This print is a direct artist response to a real event: the attack on Fairey's Paris mural and the contested meaning behind it. That makes it unusually self-documenting, an artwork about the afterlife of one of his own public works. Marianne, the French national symbol, anchors the piece in the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which Fairey first invoked after the 2015 Paris terror attacks as a gesture of solidarity. The new edition's added phrase, actions are more important than words, reframes those ideals as commitments to be lived rather than slogans to be claimed, and the teardrop he adds to Marianne registers the times those principles were abandoned or misused. Fairey explicitly states he does not want the image hijacked by those who reject its meaning, asserting authorship over its interpretation. Dedicating profits to the underserved and naming his opposition to racism, xenophobia, and classism grounds the work in concrete commitments. With an edition of 650, it offers collectors a piece tied to a specific international episode, blending national symbolism, human-rights advocacy, and a meditation on how meaning is defined through action.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors interested in Fairey's international work, his public murals, and the stories of contested street art. The piece's origin as a response to the defacement of his Paris mural gives it a strong narrative hook, and its use of Marianne adds a layer of French national symbolism that distinguishes it from his American-focused output. At 18 x 24 inches it is a framable size with a striking central figure that displays well. The human-rights and equality themes fit collections organized around justice and peace, and the donation of profits to the underserved adds values-driven appeal. With an edition of 650 and an accessible original price, it is an approachable acquisition that carries unusually rich context for collectors who value the backstory behind an image.
Historical Context
Released in February 2021 by Obey Giant, this print extends a lineage that began with Fairey's Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite mural made after the 2015 Paris terror attacks. It documents his response to that mural's later defacement, making it a record of how his public work circulates and is reinterpreted abroad. The use of Marianne situates the piece within his broader practice of adopting national and historical symbols to carry human-rights messages. Its themes of equality, peace, and opposition to racism, xenophobia, and classism align with the justice-focused concerns dominating his early-2020s catalog. The added phrase and teardrop show Fairey revising and recontextualizing his own imagery, a reflective gesture about authorship and meaning that distinguishes it within his 2021 releases.
FAQ
What prompted this print?
Fairey created it in response to the attack on his Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite mural in the 13th district of Paris, an image he originally made after the 2015 terror attacks at the Bataclan and elsewhere to show solidarity with Parisians and French people.
What does the title mean and what is the teardrop?
The French phrase means actions are more important than words. Fairey added a teardrop to Marianne to mark all the times the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity have been abandoned or not defined positively.
What are the size and edition details?
It is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 650 and signed by Shepard Fairey. It released on February 16, 2021 at $75.
Where did the profits go?
According to the source, all of the profits from this print edition go to those who are underserved, reflecting Fairey's stated opposition to racism, xenophobia, and classism.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.