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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of La Grand-Combe, located at Place Jean-Jaurès in the Gard (Occitanie region), pays tribute to the 423 soldiers of the commune who fell during the First World War. Inaugurated on 11 November 1922, he distinguished himself by his bronze statuary group representing a winged Victoire dominating a broken chain, surrounded by civilians and a hairy gisting, covered with a flag. The latter, amputated with an arm, would be a self-portrait of sculptor Maxime Real del Sarte, a mutilated veteran of the conflict.

The work, created in collaboration with Roger de Villiers, costs 100,000 francs at the time. It is characterized by its imposing dimensions (5 m high, 4 m wide) and its absence of a nominative list of victims. The stone base supports an allegorical scene where the Victoire, crowned by hand, embodies hope, while the figures in motion symbolize the resilience of civilian populations.

Ranked a historic monument on October 18, 2018, this monument is one of 42 protected sites in Occitanie for their artistic and memorial value. Its inscription underscores its role in the commemoration of the conflicts of the twentieth century, as well as its anchoring in the local heritage. Place Jean-Jaurès, where it is erected, is a central place of memory for the community of La Grand-Combe.

Real del Sarte's choice of his own face, probably carved by his students, adds an intimate and autobiographical dimension to the work. The monument, though without engraved names, collectively embodies the sacrifice of the Grand-combois soldiers, while illustrating the physical and moral traumas of war.

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