- Time Period: Interwars Period
- Institution: 2 May 1957
- Country: France
The Order of Arts and Letters (or Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in French) is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.
French government guidelines stipulate 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” to be considered for award. Membership is not, however, limited to French nationals; recipients include 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 rosette 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 Order of Arts and Letters Design
The medal of the Order is an eight-point, green-enameled asterisk, in gilt for Commanders and Officers and in silver for Knights; the obverse central disc has the letters “A” and “L” on a white enameled 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.
