Charles Desvergnes

Charles Desvergnes (1860–1928) was a French sculptor. He was born in Bellegarde in Loiret , the son of a working class family; his father was a baker. At his father’s bakery Desvergnes often used the dough to make models and his prowess came to the attention of the local Lord of the Manor, Charles Galopin, who introduced the young Desvergnes to the Paris sculptor Chapu. By the age of 15, he passed the entrance exams for the école des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The Conseil général du Loiret and his home town financed his years as a student and he was to win several prizes. He was runner up for the Rome prize in 1887 and received the prize itself in 1889 for his high relief “Le Retour de l'enfant prodigue”. He was then accepted at the “Villa Médicis” in Rome and studied sculpture there for 5 years. He returned to Paris, established a studio and submitted tenders for various public works. In 1899 his “monument commémoratif du combat des Aydes au faubourg Bannier" was inaugurated in Orleans.

By 1902 he was being awarded the Légion d'honneur for his monument at Melun and in this time he was the sculptor chosen for several commemorative works including that for Jean de Meung in Meung-sur-Loire and that commemorating Dr.Duchenne in both Boulogne and Paris. He became famous for his many recreations of Jeanne d’Arc and started his working relationship with the mason Marcel Marron. Desvergnes would produce the models and these would then be carved by Marron.

After the Great War Desvergnes, working with Marron, designed many monument aux morts, mostly to be put inside churches and with or without the image of Jeanne d’Arc. His last important work, the monument of atonement for Beauvais Cathedral was finished by his apprentices after his death. In 1912 he offered a collection of his works to his home town Bellegarde and these are now housed in the “Pavillon d’Antin” there. Desvergnes died in 1928.

Three of Desvergnes’ works in particular can be seen in parish churches throughout France. The first of these is “Ange de reconnaissance couronnant un poilu" this often produced in plaster but sometimes in limestone or cast iron. An example of this work is to be found in the parish church of Mézières-sur-Oise in the Aisne. The second work, called "Le divin modèle", is the one seen in Marcoing and the third is the work is "Lauriers celestas” Another Desvergnes work often encountered is his “L'héroïque poilu de France”: A French soldier is seen bayoneting a German helmet and this work, being of a secular nature, is seen in public places rather than churches. Some further examples of Desvergnes’ works are:-

• The monument aux morts at the church in Chiché in Deux-Sèvres, Poitou-Charente. This was a Desvergnes/Marron cooperation. It features Jesus on the cross between the Virgin Mary and Saint Jean. There is also a soldier being crowned by an angel.
• On the boulevard Chamblain in Melun, Seine et Marne the « monument aux morts de la guerre de 1870-1871 et des colonies » . It was the "L' Union patriotique et fraternelle des anciens défenseurs de la Patrie de Seine-et-Marne" who organised and financed the erection of this monument to the dead of the 1870 conflict and Desvergnes was chosen to carry out the sculptural work. The monument was inaugurated on the 2nd June 1901.
• A sculpture in the parish church of Saint-Médard at Any-Martin-Rieux in the Aisne. A cooperation with Marcel Marron.
• The monument aux morts of Fesmy-le-Sart in the Aisne. Another collaboration with Marron
• Work on the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, Côte-d'Or.
• A statue of Jeanne d’Arc in the Eglise Sainte-Anne in Amiens.
• A tableau in the parish church of Landiras in the Gironde this serving as the parish monument aux morts. The same relief can be seen in the parish church of Saint Vincent in Vert in Landes.
• A Pietà in the parish church of Saint Ambroise in Douadic in the Indre.
• Monument aux morts in the parish church of Saint-André in Léon in Landes.
• Monument aux morts in the church of Notre Dame in Espiens in Lot-et-Garonne.
• The monument aux morts in the rue du 11 November in Bricqubec, Manche.

External links

• Much detail on Desvergnes with some photographs. Written in French.
• Wikipedia article on Desvergnes. Written in French.

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Name	Desvergnes, Charles
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Date of birth	1860
Place of birth
Date of death	1928
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