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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Commentry, located in the department of Allier (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), was created by the sculptor Félix-Alexandre Desruelles during the first half of the 20th century. He is distinguished by his atypical representation: a peasant, dressed in a shirt and pants, leans on a fake in front of a soldier's grave, symbolized by a helmet placed on a pillar. The inscription "The city of Commentry to its child victims of war" underscores its commemorative character, while avoiding military glorification.

The sculptural composition (4.70 m x 3.40 m) of Vilhonor limestone sádosse with an inclined wall flanked by two steles. The peasant, with an expressive and emaciated face, wears a coffin (stone case to sharpen) and holds a hat in his hand. This monument, classified in 2019, merges the figures of the worker and the soldier, evoking both the sentence of civilians and the absurdity of the war. His style is inspired by two earlier works by Desruelles: La Pastorale (1923) and the Auchel monument project (1924), where the sculptor combines allegory and realism.

Unlike the traditional monuments exalting the heroic sacrifice, the one of Commentry is part of a pacifist current, close to tributes to the world of work. The scene, though unrealistic (a field harvested near a forehead), creates a symbolic link between the ploughed land and the buried dead. Desruelles overlays the suffering of the peasant and the soldier, reinforcing the emotional impact. This monument also illustrates the evolution of the commemorations after the First World War, where deploring prevails over the war celebration.

The monument is located on a plot delimited by Christophe-Thivrier and Corneille streets. It was listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments by decree of 13 March 2019, recognizing its artistic and memorial value. The materials (calcareous stone) and the technique (round-bosse) highlight the know-how of Desruelles, while the innovative iconography makes it a rare testimony of the pacifist memorial art in France.

The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight its originality in relation to monuments to conventional deaths. For example, it contrasts with that of Gentioux (Creuse), known for its inscription "Cursed be war", while sharing the same will for implicit denunciation. In Commentry, it is the fusion of destiny — peasant and soldier — that carries the universal message of peace and resilience.

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