Relief Art Sculpture: Chopin On The Piano And His Muse - Parc Monceau - Paris, France

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Chopin On The Piano And His Muse

Parc Monceau

Paris, France

Topic: Relief Art Sculpture

by Jacques Charles François Marie Froment-Meurice (1906)

Detail of Sculpture

GPS: N48° 52.763; E 002° 18.366

Quick Description: 

The high-relief sculpture entitled "Chopin On The Piano And His Muse" is located in the northwest corner of Parc Monceau (8th arrondissement) in Paris, France.

Long Description:

This beautifully striking relief sculptures depicts Frédéric François Chopin in the process of composing a piece of work, said to be the Funeral March, on the piano (French - Chopin au piano et sa muse). It was sculpted in marble by Jacques Charles François Marie Froment-Meurice in 1906.

The approximately 10' high by 5' square relief sculpture features the pianist Chopin, wearing a long frock coat composing on a piano partially covered with a drape. A woman is at his feet with the drape over her head. She is leaning back against the piano while holding her head with her right hand, apparently in grief and mourning. Above, his muse, represented by an angel figure, looks down on the scene. Inscribed on the right side of the sculpture is:


A
CHOPIN
1810 - 1849

Art Nouveau: Monceau Metro Station - Paris, France

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Monceau Metro Station

Paris, France

Topic: Art Nouveau

Entrance

Monceau Metro Station

GPS: N48° 52.824; E 002° 18.570

Quick Description: 

Monceau Station is a Metro stop on the #2 line at Boulevard de Courcelles in the 8th arrondissement of  Paris, France.

Long Description:

This beautiful Metro stop takes you the the delightful Monceau Park. This is one of the restored Art Nouveau Metro stations designed by architect Hector Guimard in 1900. On the white tiled north wall of the entrance there is a plaque celebrating the 100 anniversary of the Metro which give the history of the Guimard designed stations.

Historical Plaque

It is inscribed:

100 ans de métro (1900-2000) - historie(s) de métro

Accès Guimard 1900

Architecte phare de l'art nouveau, Hector Guimard a été choisi en 1899 pour dessiner les accès des stations. Mais en 1900, lors de l'ouverture du métro, ses audaces décoratives choquent les parisiens. La graphie manque, dit-on, de lisibilité, et les mâts tulipes qui servent à signaler les accès de nuit sont des yeux de monstres.

Dès 1902, on commande donc les accès de stations à des architectes moins contestés. En 1913, on cesse d'installer des bouches de métro Guimard et, lors des travaux de rénovation des station dan les années 1960, plusieurs d'entre elle sont détruites et remplacées par des entourages modernes.

Mais aujourd'hui, de noveaux moules ont été réalisés afin de restaurer les accès Guimard classés monuments historiques.
English:

100 years of metro (1900-2000) - history(s) Metro 

Guimard Access 1900

Lighthouse art nouveau architect Hector Guimard in 1899 was chosen to to design the access the stations. Back in 1900, at the opening of the metro, its decorative boldness shocked Parisians. The sign lacked readability and the tulip lamps used to communicate the night access were like the eyes of monsters.

Therefore, as early as 1902, the architecture was challenged. By 1913, installation of these accesses by Guimard ceased and, during renovations the station's in the 1960s, several of them were destroyed and replaced by modern surroundings.

But today, new molds have been made to restore the Guimard entrances which are classified as historical monuments. 

Hand Operated Water Pumps: Sainte-Mère-Église - Normandy, France

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Sainte-Mère-Église Historical Pump

Normandy, France

Topic: Hand Operated Water Pumps

Historical Pump

GPS: N49° 24.527 W001° 18.950

Quick Description: 

Sainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy, France. The town pump at Sainte-Mère-Église is now a national monument.

Long Description:

Sainte-Mère-Église was first occupied by German forces on June 18th 1940 and they remained billeted in the town. On the night of June 5th - 6th a house on the town square caught fire. The French townspeople gathered around the town pump, now a national monument, to form a bucket brigade in order to put out the fire. The German troops, awakened by the commotion gathered in the square to watch.

Unfortunately, for the U.S. forces, this was the night when units of the 82nd Airborne Division secretly parachuted into the town in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. They were clearly visible in the light of the fire. The surprise was lost and the occupying German troops opened fire. However, by 04:30, the town was taken by members of the 505th led by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause and Sainte-Mère-Église became the first town to be liberated in France.

Historical Marker

A sign next to the town pump, inscribed in French and in English, tell the story of the night of June 5-6 and the significance of the pump. It reads:

Nuit du 5 au 6 juin 1944 - 23 heures

Un incendie se déclare à l'emplacement du musée actuel.
les pompiers essaient de maitriser l'incendie. Bientôt, hommes
et femmes se passent des seaux d'eau de main en main.
On fait la chaîne depuis cette pompe. Une cinquantaine de sol-
dats allemands sont là aussi armés de fusils.
Soudain, les mitrailleuses du bourg entrent en action. Juste au
dessus des têtes, des avions déferlent. Tout à coup, des para-
chutistes sautent des carlingues et descendent rapidement vers
la terre. les allemands oivert le feu. Tout autour, les parachu-
tistes s'abattent sur le sol, l'un deux se dirige vers le brasier.

There is a house burning in the compound of this Museum.
Volunteer firemen fight the blaze with the help of local people
who formed a bucket brigade from this hand-pump. About 50
German soldiers gather on the spot. All of a sudden they activate
their machine guns as low flying planes are dropping paratroopers
who were shot as they hit the ground. One paratrooper walked to-
tard the burning house.

Stained Glass Windows: Paratrooper Memorial Windows - Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France

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Paratrooper Memorial Windows 

Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France

Topic: Stained Glass Windows

Virgin Mary and Paratroopers

Archangel Michael  -  Liberation Memorial Window

GPS: N49° 24.520; W001° 18.975

Quick Description: 

A pair of stained glass windows in the Eglise Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption at Sainte-Mère-Église honors the paratroopers who liberated the town during the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.  Examine the detail in the full size image of these windows - they are amazing. 

Long Description:

Sainte-Mère-Église was first occupied by German forces on June 18th 1940 and they remained billeted in the town. On the night of June 5th - 6th a house on the town square caught fire. The French townspeople gathered around the town pump, now a national monument, to form a bucket brigade in order to put out the fire. The German troops, awakened by the commotion gathered in the square to watch.

Unfortunately, for the U.S. forces, this was the night when units of the 82nd Airborne Division secretly parachuted into the town in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. They were clearly visible in the light of the fire. The surprise was lost and the occupying German troops opened fire. However, by 04:30, the town was taken by members of the 505th led by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause and Saint Mere Eglise became the was the first town to be liberated in France.

On that day a famous event occurred this was depicted in the film "The Longest Day". Paratrooper John Steel managed to land on the church and his chute caught on the steeple. He hung there while the fighting continued on the ground for two hours before being cut down by the Germans, taken prisoner and later released by the Americans. An effigy of John Steel can be seen on the church in the town square.

Inside the church there are two stained glass windows, one shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by paratroopers, the other shows St. Michael (patron saint of the paratroopers). They were dedicated in 1972.

World War II Sites: Liberation of Sainte-Mère-Église - Normandy, France

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Sainte-Mère-Église

Normandy, France

Topic: World War II Sites

Parachute Memorial

GPS: N49° 24.497; W001° 18.913

Quick Description: 

Sainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy, France. It was the first town to be liberated in France during World War II s liberation monument is located in the town square.

Long Description:

Sainte-Mère-Église was first occupied by German forces on June 18th 1940 and they remained billeted in the town. On the night of June 5th - 6th a house on the town square caught fire. The French townspeople gathered around the town pump, now a national monument, to form a bucket brigade in order to put out the fire. The German troops, awakened by the commotion gathered in the square to watch.

Town Pump

Unfortunately, for the U.S. forces, this was the night when units of the 82nd Airborne Division secretly parachuted into the town in preparation for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. They were clearly visible in the light of the fire. The surprise was lost and the occupying German troops opened fire. However, by 04:30, the town was taken by members of the 505th led by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Krause and Saint Mere Eglise became the was the first town to be liberated in France.

On that day a famous event occurred this was depicted in the film "The Longest Day". Paratrooper John Steel managed to land on the church and his chute caught on the steeple. He hung there while the fighting continued on the ground for two hours before being cut down by the Germans, taken prisoner and later released by the Americans. An effigy of John Steel can be seen on the church in the town square.

Effigy of John Steele

Inside the church there are two stained glass windows, one shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by paratroopers, the other shows St. Michael (patron saint of the paratroopers). They were dedicated in 1972. 

In the square there is a liberation monument. A tall circular brown stone column is inscribed in black raised letters in French and English:

Liberation Monument

                                                        

5. 6 JUIN LES 82°

ET 101° DIVISIONS U.S.A.

DE PARACHUTISISES

LIBERENT CE CANTON

5TH. 6TH JUNE 1944. THE

82ND AND 101ST DIV.

U.S.A. OF PARATROOPERS

LIBERATED THE DISTRICT

World War II Sites: Pointe Du Hoc - Normandy, France

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Pointe du Hoc

Normandy, France

Topic: World War II Sites

Cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc

Gun Casement

German Bunker

GPS: N 49° 23.833; W 000° 59.352

Quick Description: 

Pointe du Hoc is a cliff top on the coast of Normandy between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east.

Long Description:

The strategic position of Pointe du Hoc sit on top of 100 foot cliffs that overlook the allied D-Day landing beaches of Utah and Omaha on the coast of Normandy. The Germans has fortified this site with six casemates to house a battery of captured French Canon de 155mm GPF guns. These guns would be a serious threat to allied landing forces on both Utah and Omaha, they had to be captured before the landings could take place.

Early on June 6, 1944, before the main landings, the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, with three companies of Rangers were to be transported by sea to the foot of the cliffs, scale them using ropes, ladders, and grapples, and take the position at the top of the cliff.

Weather and navigational problems stalled the assault and lost the element of surprise. The rangers reached the base of the cliffs at 7:10 and scaled the cliffs with fire support from the destroyers USS Satterlee and HMS Talybont. Upon reaching the fortifications, the Rangers learned for the first time that the artillery battery had been moved from their positions (to about 1 mile away), presumably as a result of air attacks during the buildup to the invasion. The Rangers regrouped and a patrol went off in search of the guns. This patrol found five of the six guns nearby and destroyed their mechanism with thermite grenades. it was determined that the relocated battery was sighted only on Utah beach.

Determined to hold their cliff top position, the Rangers fended off several counterattacks from a far superior German force from the 916th Grenadier Regiment. Rudder's men were relieved after units of the American 29th Infantry Division's 116th Infantry Regiment broke through to the Rangers from Omaha Beach on June 7, 1944.

A monument at Pointe du Hoc honors the heroic Rangers. It was erected by the French to honor elements of the American Second Ranger Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. James E. Rudder. The monument was formally transferred to American Battle Monument Commission  for perpetual care and maintenance on January 11, 1979. It is inscribed in English and in French:

TO THE HEROIC RANGER COMMANDOES

D2RN E2RN F2RN

OF THE 116TH INF

WHO UNDER THE COMMAND OF 

COLONEL JAMES E. RUDDER

OF THE FIRST AMERICAN DIVISION

ATTACKED AND TOOK POSSESSION OF

THE POINTE DU HOC

AUX HEROIQUES COMMANDOES

DE RANGER

D2RN E2RN F2RN

DU 116EME D'INFANTERIE

QUI PRIRENT D'ASSAULT LA

POINTE DU HOC

LES 6.7.8. JUIN 1944

SOUS LE COMMANDEMENT DU

COLONEL JAMES E. RUDDER

DE LA 1ERE DIVISION AMERICAINE

Abstract Public Sculpture: Les Braves - Vierville-sur-Mer, France

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Les Braves

Omaha Beach

Vierville-sur-Mer, France

Topic: Abstract Public Sculpture

Les Braves by Anilore Banon

GPS: N 49° 22.257; W 000° 52.776

Quick Description:

Les Braves is an abstract sculpture located on Omaha Beach in the town of Vierville-sur-Mer on the coast of Normandy, France.

Long Description:

Les Braves is an abstract monument on Omaha Beach that honors the Americans who liberated France. In the center, seven stainless steel columns rise from the sea. A group of five columns curves upwards, two columns stand upright the tallest reaching up 30 feet. An array of stainless steel wings flank both sides. The sculpture was commissioned by the French government in 2004 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The work was the creation of Anilore Banon and consists of three elements:

Each element is explained by Ms. Banon in a sign on land adjacent to the sculpture on the beach.

I created this sculpture to honour the courage
of these men:
sons, husbands, and fathers, who endangered
and often sacrificed their lives in the hope of
freeing the french people.

LES BRAVES consist of three elements:

The Wings of Hope

So that the spirit which carried these men on 6th June 1944,
continues to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always
possible to change the future.

Rise of Freedom

So that the example of those who rose up against barbarity, helps us remain
standing strong against all forms on inhumanity.

The Wings of Fraternity

So that the surge of brotherhood always reminds of our responsibility
towards others as well as ourselves.
On 6th June 1944, these men were more than soldiers, they were our brothers."

Anilore BANON