Bartholdi himself took the initiative for this monument to Champollion. After the failure of the public subscription intended to fund a bronze version in the town of Figeac, he turned to the State, which commissioned a marble sculpture and assigned it to the Collège de France. Erected in a prominent position in its main courtyard (the cour d’honneur), the monument served as a reminder that the institution's chair of Egyptology had been created specifically for Champollion.

The sculptor depicted the Egyptologist as "Oedipus wresting his secret from the Sphinx." This metaphor explains the foot placed upon the Sphinx's head as a sign of triumph, yet it is not always understood today. Consequently, for the past twenty years or so, the monument has been a source of controversy. In both France and Egypt, voices have been raised to criticise Champollion’s stance, which is perceived by some as colonialist and contemptuous of Egyptian civilisation. Others rely on historical analysis to explain the author's intentions and the specific context in which the work was created.