The arch was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his victories. Construction started in 1810, but when the emperor was ousted five years later, all work was halted. It wasn’t until 1833, during the reign of King Louis-Philippe, that construction restarted. The arch was completed three years later, in 1836.The design of the arch by Jean Chalgrin is based on the Arch of Titus in Rome. The Arc de Triomphe is much higher (50 meters versus 15 meters), but it has exactly the same proportions.The triumphal arch is adorned with many reliefs and sculptures commemorating treaties, battles, and soldiers. The four large sculpture groups on the front and back of the arch depict «The Triumph of 1810», which celebrates the Treaty of Schönbrunn, «The Resistance of 1814», which commemorates the French Resistance to the Allied Armies, «The Peace of 1815», which commemorates the Treaty of Paris, and finally «Departure of the Volunteers in 1792», which celebrates Revolutionary France.