Monument aux morts de la guerre de 1914-1918

English translation

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History

Its price was approximately 400 francs and a fundraising campaign had been launched cf. GODIA Jean Jacques who describes it thus "The stacking of various symbols crowned with a sort of tower topped with a miniaturised cannon takes on the appearance of a monument of visionary inspiration, like an architecture made of collages". The monument of this small commune situated in the Haut Languedoc regional nature park is atypical both in its implementation and in its final result. There are few representations of cannons in the round, except at Collias (Gard), work of Auguste Bargeton and his sons, contractors at Collias, also an atypical monument.

Description

Rectangular-plan tomb supporting a sculpted column; figured railing (soldier kneeling: prayer); allegory: defeat: Germany (eagle: death, helmet); column; ornamentation Iconography: Four soldiers in prayer; eagle impaled on a Prussian helmet; the 75 mm gun. Inscription: inscription (engraved); signature (sculpted) on the base (main face) This is a monument of naive art, with an accumulation of "revanchist" symbols in the line of monuments from the war of 1870 (defeated eagle, helmet) and especially the glorification of the 75 mm gun, emblem of French military power and object of worship for military personnel and patriots, which dominates the monument at the top of the pillar. The pillar, flanked by 4 kneeling soldiers, is entirely covered with ornamental or symbolic sculptures (crown, military cross, oak, palm, sword, rifle ... and a woman coming to pay respects). One of the poilus represents the son of the sculptor, Léon who was killed at age 20.