Jean Boucher (artist)
Encyclopedia
Jean Boucher was a French sculptor based in Brittany
. He is best known for his public memorial sculptures which communicated his liberal politics and patriotic dedication to France and Brittany.
near Rennes
, Brittany. After his early schooling Boucher learned the trade of a blacksmith, but very soon he was attracted by the arts of drawing and sculpture. Pierre Lenoir, professor at the regional school of Rennes, taught the rudiments of fine art to him, and soon realised his young pupil's aptitude. In the 1890s he worked on restorations for the cathedral of Saint Samson
in Dol-de-Bretagne
, which he later described as his true school. He obtained a government grant to continue his studies in Paris where he met his mentors Alexandre Falguière
at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu
of the Académie Julian
. Both gave him a respect for truth in sculpture, a product of the wider trend of Realism associated with Jules Dalou
and Auguste Rodin
.
In 1898 Boucher joined the Bleus de Bretagne
, an organisation founded to promote liberal values in Brittany. Boucher was described by Armand Dayot
as a "Breton, Dreyfus
ard and freethinker". In this capacity he was commissioned to create a sculpture commemorating the skeptical thinker Ernest Renan
in Renan's home town of Tréguier
. The sculpture, depicting Renan with the goddess Athena
, was immensely controversial, being interpreted as a challenge to Catholicism, especially as it was placed beside the cathedral. Major protests accompanied its installation. Boucher's association with liberal and anti-clerical values led to a commission to depict the liberal hero Victor Hugo
in exile on Guernsey, not far from the Breton coast. Hugo is depicted looking out from the island back to France, brooding over his exile, and standing on a rocky outcrop. In 1907 Boucher created a multi-figure memorial to prominent Dreyfus supporter and human rights activist Ludovic Trarieux
in Place Denfert-Rochereau
, Paris. Another large marble in Paris is at the Place Saint-Ferdinand. It depicts Léon Serpollet in his land speed record winning steam car
, surrounded by children enveloped by the steam.
Boucher was also commissioned to create a sculpture allegorically representing the union of Brittany with France. This too created controversy, particularly among Breton nationalists, who resented the union and the erosion of Brittany's distinct culture. They complained that the portrayal of Anne of Brittany
was demeaning, as she was shown kneeling to the French king. The Breton Nationalist Party
was founded to protest its creation, and in 1932 the sculpture was bombed by Gwenn ha du
, a Breton separatist terrorist group led by Célestin Lainé
. The date was designed to coincide with anniversary of Breton union with France in 1532. Fragments of the broken work have been preserved.
Boucher also created uncontroversial memorial sculptures to distinguished cultural figures, such as Yves Guyot
, Charles Le Goffic
and the poet André Rivoire
.
. Called to bear arms with the rank of sergeant, he ended the war as a lieutenant, winner of the Croix de guerre, and suffering the effects of gassing. Appointed Professor at the l'école des beaux-Arts, he continued to work on his art, devoting much of his time to creating memorials to the soldiers who died for France. He is the creator of the monuments dedicated to the "Saint-Cyriens
", to the marshal Joseph Gallieni
of Verdun, to the American volunteers (in the Place des États-Unis
, Paris
), to the aviator Èdouard Mounier and others. As a veteran of the Battle of Verdun
, he was also commissioned to create the principal sculpture placed on the memorial to the battle in Verdun itself. He also created the war memorial for the town of Hédé
, in which he lived for most of his life after the war.
. In his last years Boucher was working on new designs for a replacement for the bombed monument to Breton unity with France. He completed maquette
s of more than one proposed design. One of the objections of Breton nationalists to the earlier statue had been that it portrayed the duchess Anne of Brittany
kneeling submissively before the King of France, so the new designs carefully stressed the equality of the figures. However, the replacement project was abandoned after Boucher's death and the outbreak of war in 1939. Another of his late projects also remained unfinished, his memorial to Camille Desmoulins
and the storming of the Bastille
. After his death the stone sculpture was sawn into several pieces for storage. Intended for display in Paris, it was eventually reconstructed and displayed in Boucher's home town of Cesson-Sévigné
.
Boucher was a highly respected teacher. Among his pupils were the sculptors Paul Belmondo
(father of Jean-Paul Belmondo
), Jules-Charles Le Bozec
and Francis Renaud
.
After Boucher's death his son Jean-Marie Boucher created an association dedicated to preserve interest in his father's work. Following his own death in 2000 a new Association des Amis de Jean Boucher (Friends of Jean Boucher) was formed in Rennes. Its honorary presidents are Jean-Paul Belmondo
and Edmond Hervé
.
Monument to Ernest Renan in Tréguier (1902).
Two monumental statues of Louis Léopold Ollier
, one in his native village, Les Vans
, and the other on the Place Ollier in Lyon
, which was melted down by German forces for its metal during World War II.
The Union of Brittany and France, in the niche of the town hall of Rennes (1911), partially destroyed on August 7, 1932 by Breton nationalists.
Victor Hugo in exile (1913) in Guernsey
. A reduced version of this statue is in the House of Victor Hugo, Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, in the IVieme district of Paris.
Monument to the Marshal Joseph Gallieni
(1926) in Place Vauban in the XVIIieme district of Paris
Monument to the Marshal Marie Émile Fayolle
(1935) in Place Vauban in the XVIIieme district of Paris.
War memorial representing a "Poilu
" in the Cour du Mûrier at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
There are two sculpture parks devoted to Boucher's works, one of which is in his birthplace in Cesson-Sévigné
and one in his adopted home of Hédé
. The former contains some figures from the destroyed monument to Breton-French unity, along with studies of human heads. The latter contains studies for the Verdun monument and monument to American volunteers. It also contains study heads. His figure La Bretonne, a woman portrayed in local Breton costume, is in the town square.
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. He is best known for his public memorial sculptures which communicated his liberal politics and patriotic dedication to France and Brittany.
Early years
Boucher was born in Cesson-SévignéCesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primarily a residential area for the middle class. The south side...
near Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, Brittany. After his early schooling Boucher learned the trade of a blacksmith, but very soon he was attracted by the arts of drawing and sculpture. Pierre Lenoir, professor at the regional school of Rennes, taught the rudiments of fine art to him, and soon realised his young pupil's aptitude. In the 1890s he worked on restorations for the cathedral of Saint Samson
Dol Cathedral
Dol Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Dol-de-Bretagne, Brittany, dedicated to Saint Samson.It was formerly the seat of the Archbishop of Dol, one of the nine ancient bishoprics of Brittany...
in Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne , cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine département in Brittany in north-western France.-History:...
, which he later described as his true school. He obtained a government grant to continue his studies in Paris where he met his mentors Alexandre Falguière
Alexandre Falguière
Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière was a French sculptor and painter.He was born in Toulouse...
at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu
Henri Chapu
Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu was a French sculptor in a modified Neoclassical tradition who was known for his use of allegory in his works.-Life and career:...
of the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
. Both gave him a respect for truth in sculpture, a product of the wider trend of Realism associated with Jules Dalou
Jules Dalou
Aimé-Jules Dalou was a French sculptor, recognized as one of the most brilliant virtuosos of nineteenth-century France, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism.-Life:...
and Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
.
Liberal ideals
Bleus de Bretagne
The Ligue des bleus de Bretagne was a liberal organisation in Brittany founded in 1899, dedicated to promoting the ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution in Brittany, and combating the influence of the aristocracy and clergy...
, an organisation founded to promote liberal values in Brittany. Boucher was described by Armand Dayot
Armand Dayot
Armand Dayot, , was a French art critic, art historian and leftist politician. He was born in Paimpol, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany. He founded the journal L'Art et les artistes and the Breton liberal organisation les Bleus de Bretagne....
as a "Breton, Dreyfus
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
ard and freethinker". In this capacity he was commissioned to create a sculpture commemorating the skeptical thinker Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan was a French expert of Middle East ancient languages and civilizations, philosopher and writer, devoted to his native province of Brittany...
in Renan's home town of Tréguier
Tréguier
Tréguier is a port town in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is the capital of the province of Trégor.-Geography:Tréguier is located 36 m. N.W. of Saint-Brieuc by road. The port is situated about 5½ m...
. The sculpture, depicting Renan with the goddess Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, was immensely controversial, being interpreted as a challenge to Catholicism, especially as it was placed beside the cathedral. Major protests accompanied its installation. Boucher's association with liberal and anti-clerical values led to a commission to depict the liberal hero Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
in exile on Guernsey, not far from the Breton coast. Hugo is depicted looking out from the island back to France, brooding over his exile, and standing on a rocky outcrop. In 1907 Boucher created a multi-figure memorial to prominent Dreyfus supporter and human rights activist Ludovic Trarieux
Ludovic Trarieux
Ludovic Trarieux was a French Republican statesman, prominent Dreyfusard, and pioneer of international human rights.-Early life:...
in Place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau
Place Denfert-Rochereau, previously known as Place d'Enfer, is a public square located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France, in the Montparnasse district, at the intersection of the boulevards Raspail, Arago, and Saint-Jacques, and the avenues René Coty, Général Leclerc, and , as well as the...
, Paris. Another large marble in Paris is at the Place Saint-Ferdinand. It depicts Léon Serpollet in his land speed record winning steam car
Steam car
A steam car is a light car powered by a steam engine.Steam locomotives, steam engines capable of propelling themselves along either road or rails, developed around one hundred years earlier than internal combustion engine cars although their weight restricted them to agricultural and heavy haulage...
, surrounded by children enveloped by the steam.
Boucher was also commissioned to create a sculpture allegorically representing the union of Brittany with France. This too created controversy, particularly among Breton nationalists, who resented the union and the erosion of Brittany's distinct culture. They complained that the portrayal of Anne of Brittany
Representations of Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany was the object of representations very early on. The royal propaganda of Charles VIII and, later on, of Louis XII idealized her as a symbol of the perfect queen, on the union between the kingdom and the duchy, and of the return to peace. Maximilian's Austria having been evicted...
was demeaning, as she was shown kneeling to the French king. The Breton Nationalist Party
Breton Nationalist Party
The Breton Nationalist Party was a French political party that advocated independence for Brittany. It existed from 1911 to 1914.-Origins:...
was founded to protest its creation, and in 1932 the sculpture was bombed by Gwenn ha du
Gwenn ha du (terrorism)
Gwenn ha Du was a Breton-based terrorist group founded at the end of 1930 in Paris by Célestin Lainé. It advocated Breton nationalism through "direct action" and published a secret manual aimed at instructing readers in terrorism...
, a Breton separatist terrorist group led by Célestin Lainé
Célestin Lainé
Célestin Lainé was a Breton nationalist and collaborator during the Second World War who led the SS affiliated Bezen Perrot militia. His Breton language name is Neven Hénaff. He was a chemical engineer by training. After the war he lived in Ireland.- Breton terrorism :He was born in 1908 in Nantes...
. The date was designed to coincide with anniversary of Breton union with France in 1532. Fragments of the broken work have been preserved.
Boucher also created uncontroversial memorial sculptures to distinguished cultural figures, such as Yves Guyot
Yves Guyot
Yves Guyot was a French politician and economist.He was born at Dinan. Educated al Rennes, he took up the profession of journalism, coming to Paris in 1867...
, Charles Le Goffic
Charles Le Goffic
Charles Le Goffic was a French poet, novelist and historian whose influence was especially strong in his native Brittany. He was a member of the Académie française.-Biography:...
and the poet André Rivoire
André Rivoire
André Rivoire was a French poet and playwright whose work was defined by the delicate precision of his observation.-Life and work:...
.
War memorials
Boucher did his duty as a soldier during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Called to bear arms with the rank of sergeant, he ended the war as a lieutenant, winner of the Croix de guerre, and suffering the effects of gassing. Appointed Professor at the l'école des beaux-Arts, he continued to work on his art, devoting much of his time to creating memorials to the soldiers who died for France. He is the creator of the monuments dedicated to the "Saint-Cyriens
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
", to the marshal Joseph Gallieni
Joseph Gallieni
Joseph Simon Gallieni was a French soldier, most active as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies and finished his career during the First World War. He was made Marshal of France posthumously in 1921...
of Verdun, to the American volunteers (in the Place des États-Unis
Place des États-Unis
The Place des États-Unis is a public space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, about 500 m south of the Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe....
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), to the aviator Èdouard Mounier and others. As a veteran of the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
, he was also commissioned to create the principal sculpture placed on the memorial to the battle in Verdun itself. He also created the war memorial for the town of Hédé
Hédé
Hédé-Bazouges is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Bretagne in north-western France.On 1 January 2008, the village of Saint-Symphorien was separated from the commune, and given the status of commune in its own right.....
, in which he lived for most of his life after the war.
Later career
He was elected an official of the Academy des Beaux-Arts on February 29, 1936, to replace Hippolyte LefèbvreHippolyte Lefèbvre
Hippolyte-Jules Lefèbvre was an academic French sculptor and medallist who received numerous official marks of recognition in his day but is now largely forgotten...
. In his last years Boucher was working on new designs for a replacement for the bombed monument to Breton unity with France. He completed maquette
Maquette
A maquette is a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or a sculpture...
s of more than one proposed design. One of the objections of Breton nationalists to the earlier statue had been that it portrayed the duchess Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany
Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of...
kneeling submissively before the King of France, so the new designs carefully stressed the equality of the figures. However, the replacement project was abandoned after Boucher's death and the outbreak of war in 1939. Another of his late projects also remained unfinished, his memorial to Camille Desmoulins
Camille Desmoulins
Lucie Simplice Camille Benoît Desmoulins was a journalist and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. He was a childhood friend of Maximilien Robespierre and a close friend and political ally of Georges Danton, who were influential figures in the French Revolution.-Early...
and the storming of the Bastille
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
. After his death the stone sculpture was sawn into several pieces for storage. Intended for display in Paris, it was eventually reconstructed and displayed in Boucher's home town of Cesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primarily a residential area for the middle class. The south side...
.
Boucher was a highly respected teacher. Among his pupils were the sculptors Paul Belmondo
Paul Belmondo (sculptor)
Paul Belmondo was a French sculptor. He is the father of the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.-Biography :...
(father of Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
), Jules-Charles Le Bozec
Jules-Charles Le Bozec
Jules-Charles Le Bozec was a French sculptor, whose work reflects a commitment to the local design traditions of his native province of Brittany.-Biography:...
and Francis Renaud
Francis Renaud (sculptor)
Francis Renaud , was a French sculptor mainly noted for his monumental granite public memorials in Brittany.Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes d'Armor, Brittany, Renaud was associated with the revival of Breton nationalist ideals in art in the early 20th century. His earlier works are in a style close to...
.
After Boucher's death his son Jean-Marie Boucher created an association dedicated to preserve interest in his father's work. Following his own death in 2000 a new Association des Amis de Jean Boucher (Friends of Jean Boucher) was formed in Rennes. Its honorary presidents are Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
and Edmond Hervé
Edmond Hervé
Edmond Hervé is a French politician, a member of the Socialist Party and French senator since 2008. He was the mayor of Rennes from 1977 to 2008, succeeding Henri Fréville...
.
Major works
Two monumental statues of Louis Léopold Ollier
Louis Léopold Ollier
Louis Léopold Ollier, full name Louis Xavier Édouard Léopold Ollier was a French surgeon born in Les Vans, department of Ardèche. His father and grandfather were also physicians....
, one in his native village, Les Vans
Les Vans
Les Vans commune in the Ardèche department in the Rhône-Alpes region of southern France.-Geography:The village of Les Vans, the principal settlement of the canton of the same name in the south of the Ardèche, lies at the centre of a basin near the Chassezac river.Dominant to the south is the Serre...
, and the other on the Place Ollier in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, which was melted down by German forces for its metal during World War II.
The Union of Brittany and France, in the niche of the town hall of Rennes (1911), partially destroyed on August 7, 1932 by Breton nationalists.
Victor Hugo in exile (1913) in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
. A reduced version of this statue is in the House of Victor Hugo, Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, in the IVieme district of Paris.
Monument to the Marshal Joseph Gallieni
Joseph Gallieni
Joseph Simon Gallieni was a French soldier, most active as a military commander and administrator in the French colonies and finished his career during the First World War. He was made Marshal of France posthumously in 1921...
(1926) in Place Vauban in the XVIIieme district of Paris
Monument to the Marshal Marie Émile Fayolle
Marie Émile Fayolle
Marie Émile Fayolle was a Marshal of France.Fayolle studied at the École polytechnique, where he graduated with the class of 1873. During his career he served in the artillery. From 1897 to 1908 he taught artillery at the École supérieure de Guerre...
(1935) in Place Vauban in the XVIIieme district of Paris.
War memorial representing a "Poilu
Poilu
Poilu is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard was also common. It is still widely used as a term of...
" in the Cour du Mûrier at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
Sculpture parks
Cesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primarily a residential area for the middle class. The south side...
and one in his adopted home of Hédé
Hédé
Hédé-Bazouges is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Bretagne in north-western France.On 1 January 2008, the village of Saint-Symphorien was separated from the commune, and given the status of commune in its own right.....
. The former contains some figures from the destroyed monument to Breton-French unity, along with studies of human heads. The latter contains studies for the Verdun monument and monument to American volunteers. It also contains study heads. His figure La Bretonne, a woman portrayed in local Breton costume, is in the town square.
See also
- Place des États-UnisPlace des États-UnisThe Place des États-Unis is a public space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, about 500 m south of the Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe....