Calvaire

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

The calvary of Coulonges-sur-l'Autize is a sculpture 5 m high, made of concrete following a technique invented by sculptor Carlo Sarrabezolles (1888-1971): sculpture by direct carving of set concrete, developed in 1926 at the church of Villemomble in Seine-Saint-Denis. This technique which was the subject of a publication by its author "Sculpture without maquette by direct carving of set concrete", published by the Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie nationale in 1933. This sculptor, who was part of Maurice Denis's sacred art studios, is recognized, notably by Jacques Foucart, as an important sculptor of the 20th century. He worked throughout France, including in the overseas departments, in the United States and in Serbia. His sculpture of the three elements towers above the facade of the Palais de Chaillot. The calvary is composed of a Christ on the cross with at his feet a praying woman, who wears traditional dress, whose form and headdress vaguely recalls that of the women of the Gâtine. The cross is inserted into a pedestal which presents cracks. The ground on which this monument is set has undergone slow erosion due to the flow of rainwater, which has resulted in the exposure of part of the pedestal's foundations. It was initially surrounded by a cement (or concrete?) guard rail, visible on an old postcard. It was commissioned by the town's priest in 1931, who had been moved by the sculptor's work created for the church of Villemomble