The Swiss Gianadda de Martigny Foundation has decided to offer a bronze statue of Victor Hugo, cast in an unpublished mold by the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), to the city of Besançon, the writer's birthplace, a- we learned Wednesday from the municipality.
"This is an unpublished view of Victor Hugo
(1802-1885),
represented standing in a very large model, with both the face of an old man and a young and muscular body"
, notes Nicolas Surlapierre, director of the Museums of center of Besançon.
“Rodin's idea was to show that Victor Hugo had remained combative despite exile,”
he continues.
The 2.10 meter statue for 250 kilos will be delivered to the Doubs prefecture next October.
It will be exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology, before being installed in the Saint-Jacques district, near the future large library whose work, in the city center, has recently begun.
“An unprecedented gift of international scope”
Leonard Gianadda
"It all starts in July 2021"
, recalls Mayor Anne Vignot (EELV),
"a phone call to my office: Leonard Gianadda wants (me) to meet to make a confidential proposal"
.
With the cultural assistant,
“we welcome Mr. Gianadda and his wife, very intrigued by the mysterious and unusual message”
.
The patron explains that
"Rodin, one of the most prestigious sculptors in the world, has several times portrayed one of the most brilliant humanist authors of our human history, Victor Hugo"
, born in Besançon on February 26, 1802. And he considers
" as an injustice"
that his hometown has no Rodin, continues the mayor.
Read alsoAuguste Rodin at the challenge of marble
Mr. Gianadda then offered the city
“an unprecedented gift of international magnitude”
: a bronze representing Victor Hugo, cast in an unpublished mold by Rodin discovered in 2019 in the reserves of the Rodin museum.
“The giant will be born from its mold in triplicate.
One numbered I for the Gianadda foundation in Martigny, another numbered II for the City of Besançon and the last numbered III for the Rodin museum in Paris
”, we specify.
“Les Bisontines and Bisontins will be proud to bring to life the birth of an immense humanist author and that of an exceptional work. Combining the names of Victor Hugo and Rodin will be one of the great moments of this city of the 21st century
,” added Ms. Vignot, who expressed her
“infinite gratitude
” for her generous donor.