This sculpture in the Richelieu Garden beside the Town Hall in Calais is probably too late to be considered true Art Deco but I can see some elements in the stylisation that remind me of the deco period.It was created by Yves de Coetlogon (1913-1973) to honour the fallen in both World Wars through the allegory of Peace. It replaced an earlier WWI monument by Moreau-Vauthier that had been extensivly damaged during WWII. Before that, Rodin's Burghers of Calais stood here until it was moved in 1924 to it's present location in front of the Town Hall.
The sculpture was unveiled in 1962, 100 years after the original garden had been established.
Perhaps not unexpectedly, there are a lot of memorials around this part of France as can be seen at Monuments aux morts pacifistes.
Very interesting blog.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find a mail for you anywhere, so apologies for leaving a message here. I have a blog about Paris, often talking about architecture, and I have found a few buildings that may interest you, such as this one:
http://parisisinvisible.blogspot.com/2008/09/le-grand-garage-haussmann-43-rue.html
Thanks Adam
ReplyDeleteI look forward to checking out your postings.
David