Augustin Lesieux
Encyclopedia
Augustin Lesieux was a French sculptor.
Lesieux was born at Sombrin
in 1877 and died in 1964. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Arras from 1896 to 1899 and then at Lille before finishing his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts
in Paris. From 1901 he worked in Rodin's studio. After the 1914-1918 war he worked on many monument aux morts and completed numerous other public works.
Lesieux was born at Sombrin
Sombrin
Sombrin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Sombrin lies southwest of Arras, at the junction of the D59, D80 and D79 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
in 1877 and died in 1964. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Arras from 1896 to 1899 and then at Lille before finishing his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris. From 1901 he worked in Rodin's studio. After the 1914-1918 war he worked on many monument aux morts and completed numerous other public works.
Monument aux morts
Lesieux carried out the sculptural work on the following monument aux morts.- The monument aux morts at GuînesGuînesGuînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Guînes is located on the border of the two territories of the Boulonnais and Calaisis, at the edge of the now-drained marshes, which extend from here to the coast. The Guînes canal connects with...
. Guînes lies a few kilometres south of Calais and can be reached by the D305 and D217 off junction 43 of the A16 Autoroute. The monument aux morts dates from 1921. - The monument aux morts at Étaples. Étaples is a fishing port and lies on the CancheCancheThe river Canche is one of the rivers that flow from the plateau of the southern Boulonnais and Picardy, into the English Channel. The Somme is the largest example. The basin of the Canche extends to 1,274 square kilometres and lies in the southern end of the département of Pas-de-Calais...
river. It can be reached from junction 26 of the A16 going south and then the D939. In the local cemetery we can find Augustin Lesieux's monument aux morts. The inauguration took place on 28 December 1924. It seems that Lesieux used the sculptor Ateni to help with some of the preparation work. Étaples was the principal depôt and transit camp for the British Expeditionary Force in France in the 1914-1918 war. - The monument aux morts at Le Portel. Le Portel lies about 3.2 km southwest of Boulogne, at the junction of the D236 and D119 roads. The monument aux morts stands in a public garden near to Le Portel's church. A marine and a soldier feature in Lesieux’ composition both standing before the national flag.
- The monument aux morts at Outreau. Outreau lies west of Boulogne on the junction of the N1. N142 and D19. The river Liane forms Outreau's eastern border with Boulogne. The commune suffered much bombing in the Second World War. The monument aux morts is a thoughtful and rather dramatic composition by Lesieux. On a tombstone which appears to have toppled over, a gallic cock sits and trills a victory call, and beneath lies a dead soldier. Vegetation sprouts from underneath the soldier's body this perhaps symbolising the rebirth of France. The monument aux morts of Outreau stands in the Outreau Communal Cemetery in the rue Firmin Blondeel. The monument was inaugurated on 5 February 1922.
- The monument aux morts at ChavilleChavilleChaville is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Nearest communes:*Meudon*Sèvres*Vélizy-Villacoublay*Viroflay*Ville-d'Avray....
. Chaville is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris and her monument aux morts is identical to that at Outreau . The Chaville monument was inaugurated on 17 July 1921. - The monument aux morts at LensLens, Pas-de-CalaisLens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
. Lens is an industrial city and the large slag heaps which surround the city bear testimony to its long association with coal mining. The Lens area saw many major battles during the 1914-1918 war. The monument aux morts stands in the centre of the Lens Van Pelt roundabout in Lens. In his composition for this monument aux morts Lesieux concentrates on the consequences of the war for both the fighting soldier and the civilian. The poilu stands not in triumph but in reflection. We see a mother and daughter forced to leave their home with only a bundle of possessions and a broken doll thus highlighting the disruption to family life caused by the war and a miner standing at the entrance to a mine, a mine filled with water and broken timbering. The monument was inaugurated on 24 May 1925. At the top of the monument a woman stands with her foot on a torpedo and gestures against the destruction caused by warfare! At the base of the monument are bas-reliefs which repeat the themes shown above them. We see a mine tunnel the tunnel filled with water and its timbering broken. In another a soldier tries to assist a fallen comrade and in the third we see the factories and mines damaged by the German bombing. - The monument aux morts at Les AttaquesLes AttaquesLes Attaques is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A large farming and light industrial village located 4 miles southeast of Calais, at the junction of the N43 and D248 roads...
this featuring a soldier in high relief. Attaques is situated some 6 kilometres southeast of Calais, at the junction of the N43 and D248 roads.
Other works
- Busts of Virginie Demont-Breton and Adrien Demont in the Musée de la Chartreuse in DouaiDouai-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
. - Bas-reliefs on the tombstone of Robert Spire (1838–1915) in the cemetery at Saint-Cloud.
- The monument dedicated to Doctor Edmond Theret in Tincques.
- Monument at FréventFréventFrévent is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming town situated in the valley of the Canche river, west of Arras, at the junction of the D946, the D939 and the D941 roads.-History:...
commemorating the victims of aerial bombing on the 9th and 19 July 1944. This monument stands near the church of Saint Hilaire. During these raids 117 people were killed. This monument was inaugurated in 1949. - The statue of Messidor at Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines.
- Monument to Jean JauresJean JaurèsJean Léon Jaurès was a French Socialist leader. Initially an Opportunist Republican, he evolved into one of the first social democrats, becoming the leader, in 1902, of the French Socialist Party, which opposed Jules Guesde's revolutionary Socialist Party of France. Both parties merged in 1905 in...
in Méricourt. Inaugurated 15 August 1929. - The monument to Emile Basly. Apart from the sculpture representing Basly himself there are three bas-reliefs at the base of the pedestal. One represents a coal mine, the second Basly's time as the Mayor of Lens and third his time in the Chambre de députés. During the Second World War the work was hidden to avoid any risk of it being taken and melted down by the Germans. It was re-erected in 1956.
- Another work by Lesieux can be seen in BapaumeBapaumeBapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...
. This is the monument to Tailliandier and Briquet, both killed in the explosion with destroyed the city hall on 25 March 1917. Bapaume lay in ruins at the end of the 1914-1918 war. It had been occupied by the Germans until March 1917 when they pulled back and reformed their front line. The Germans it seems had left several "booby-traps" behind when leaving Bapaume including a mine under the Town Hall. The mine exploded on the night of 25 March 1917. Captain Raoul Briquet and Albert Tailliandier, two French parliamentarians and several Australian soldiers who were staying overnight in the Town Hall were killed in the blast. The Australian army had come into Bapaume in the wake of the retreating German army. A memorial was erected in memory of the two frenchmen killed... - Lesieux was also the sculptor of the busts of Émile Poiteau and Félix Planquette in the foyer of the Casino d'Arras in the rue Émile Legrelle, Arras.
- Lesieux also sculpted the Rosati monument now standing in the square behind the Arras Hotel de Ville.
- His work can also be seen on the facade of the Lens Hôtel de Ville.In this work Lesieux pays tribute to the working class with representation of a labourer and a sorter. Lesieux also carved the two cariatides on the Hôtel de Ville. facade.
- Statues of Jean Bodel and Guy Mollet which stand in the Arras Hotel de Ville interior.
- In the Arras cemetery Lesieux was the sculptor of the bas relief dedicated to Amédée et Émile Doutremepuich.
- The bust of Mgr Dutoit in Arras Cathedral.