Design of the monument 1934 (≈ 1934)
Labro-Martial collaboration for this commemorative project.
1ère moitié du XXe siècle
Construction period
Construction period 1ère moitié du XXe siècle (≈ 2007)
Post-First World War context.
13 mars 2019
Protection for historical monuments
Protection for historical monuments 13 mars 2019 (≈ 2019)
Registration includes staircase, platform and plant elements.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The monument to the dead, with its staircase, platform, slope and plant benches, located between the Aurillac road and the school street (see AK 1): inscription by order of 13 March 2019
Key figures
Georges Labro - Architect
Grand Prix de Rome, co-conceptor of the monument.
Armand Martial - Sculptor
Author of bas-relief, great sculpture prize.
Origin and history
The monument to the dead of Saint-Paul-des-Landes, located in the Cantal department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, was designed in 1934 by architect Georges Labro and sculptor Armand Martial. Their collaboration, already noted for projects such as the monument to Paul Doumer, resulted in a work hailed for its originality, sobriety and clean style. The monument, made in sandstone of Saverne (Alsace), symbolizes the victory by a female figure in bas-relief holding a palm, typical of Art Deco. The names of the soldiers who died during the First World War were engraved there, while sandstone markers, now missing, were originally completed together.
The composition of the monument includes a column on base, a paved platform with grassed benches, and a staircase incorporating a vegetal slope. Its archaic iconography, inspired by the Egyptian goddesses, reflects a simplification of the forms characteristic of the Interwar period. The choice of Saverne sandstone, an exogenous stone from a reconquered region (Alsace), could have a symbolic dimension, though not explained. The city council approved the project for its "nobility of inspiration", after having already supported Labro and Martial for other achievements, such as the monument to Paul Doumer in Aurillac.
Protected as historical monuments since 13 March 2019, the monument includes in its protection the stairway, platform, slope and plant benches. The artists prohibited any reproduction of their work, stressing its uniqueness. Armand Martial, a great prize from Rome and a professor at the Evening School, and award-winning architect Georges Labro marked this monument with their imprint, in a context where official commemorative orders were frequent after the Great War. Their collaboration is part of a broader artistic approach, combining modernity and ancient references.
