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Statue of Duguesclin in Caen dans le Calvados

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Statue
Calvados

Statue of Duguesclin in Caen

    Place Saint-Martin
    14000 Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Statue de Duguesclin à Caen
Crédit photo : DennisPeeters (talk) - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1912
Presentation at the Salon des artistes français
1914
Creation of the bronze version
26 mars 1920
Donation to Calvados department
28 août 1921
Installation place Saint-Martin
1925
Engraving of the name of Du Guesclin
18 août 2006
Historical monument classification
2010-2011
Restoration in Périgueux
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The statue with its base (cad. non-cadastre, public domain): registration by order of 18 August 2006

Key figures

Arthur Le Duc - Sculptor Author of the statue, animal specialist.
Bertrand du Guesclin - Connétable de France (attributed) Name engraved on the pedestal in 1925.
Bertrand II de Goyon de Matignon - Likely rider model Du Guesclin Banner Holder in Cocherel.
René Fulda - Founder Made the bronze version in 1914.
André Guillemin-Tarayre - Architect Designer of the pedestal in 1921.

Origin and history

The Guesclin statue, originally named A companion of Duguesclin at Cocherel: B. Goyer de Matignon, is a bronze equestrian work by Arthur Le Duc in the 1910s. Presented at the Salon des artistes français in 1912 in the form of plaster, she represents Bertrand II de Goyon, seigneur of Matignon, a banner holder of Bertrand du Guesclin at the Battle of Cocherel (1364). The sculptor, a specialist in animals, celebrates the movement and medieval reconstruction, his favourite period. The bronze version, melted by René Fulda in 1914, remained in the artist's studio until his death in 1918.

In 1920, the widow of Arthur Le Duc offered the statue to the Calvados department, where the artist was a general adviser. Initially planned in front of the prefecture, it was finally installed in Place Saint-Martin in 1921, oriented towards the castle of Caen. The pedestal, designed by architect André Guillemin-Tarayre, was engraved in 1925 with the name Bertrand du Guesclin, despite the coat of arms of the Goyon de Matignon visible on the rider's surcote. The statue, saved from the cast iron under Vichy for its artistic interest, was restored in 2010-2011.

Ranked a historical monument in 2006, the statue depicts a medieval charge scene, with a 14th century knight in armor and a dynamic gallop horse. Arthur Le Duc, formed by Antoine-Louis Barye, is inspired by the movement studies of Eadwear Muybridge and Étienne-Jules Marey to translate speed and balance. The rider, standing on his briefcase, brandished his sword while the horse treads a banner on the ground, adding a support point to the composition. The work combines heroic tribute and technical virtuosity, typical of the animal style of its author.

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