Gare de l'Est : Architecture The western wing, actually the original building, finds itself in axis with the Boulevard de Strasbourg, the main avenue leading to the center of Paris. The statues represent the cities of Strasbourg - by Philippe-Henri Lemaire, and, of Verdun - by Varenne (1930). This last artist is also the author of the decoration of the right clock, representing the rivers Marne and Meuse, while on the other side, the Seine and the Rhine were sculpted by Jean-Louis Brian. Representations of agricultural products and coat of arms of the 32 most important cities of eastern France decorate the access arcade. In the ticketing hall of the western wing, a large painting signed by Alfred Herter (1926) shows the soldiers of 1914 leaving for the front.