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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The monument to the dead of La Tour-du-Pin, located in Isère in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, was created by sculptor Alfred Boucher in the first half of the 20th century. It is distinguished by its innovative technique, using cement integrated with copper particles, a method that Boucher jealously kept secret. The monument, inaugurated in 1921, is surmounted by a hairy figure draped in its hood, while its base presents two allegorical sculptures: The Painful Mother (or The Last Kiss), a secularization of the Virgins of Mercy, and The Peaceful and Vigilant Mother (or Armed Peace), symbolizing resilience and protection.

The monument was listed as a historical monument on 13 March 2019, due to its artistic value and its particular technique, despite the degradations experienced over time. A first restoration in 1958, using dentist cement, altered its original appearance, notably by adding an absent polychromy originally. Postcards of the inauguration in 1921 attest to its initial state, now partially lost. The social network of the then mayor, Antonin Dubost (President of the Senate and friend of Boucher), played a key role in ordering this work.

Alfred Boucher, author of several monuments in the region, saw some of his achievements disappear, such as that dedicated to surgeon Ollier in Lyon, melted during the Second World War to recover bronze. The monument of La Tour-du-Pin, as well as that of Aix-les-Bains, illustrates the artist's technical experiments, now studied for their preservation. The Camille Claudel Museum of Nogent-sur-Seine, which preserves Boucher's works, collaborates in the documentation and restoration of these monuments, as evidenced by the reports received after the inscription of the monument.

Located on the Champ de Mars planade, in the heart of the city, the monument is freely accessible. It is located close to the town hall, the sub-prefecture of Isère and the seat of the community of communes Les Vals du Dauphiné. Its central location underlines its symbolic importance for local collective memory, while providing public visibility to this work combining art and history.

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