La Sainte Famille

Clémence THELLIER & Alexandre DROULLE write...

This 20^th century sculpture shows the Holy Family (the Christ Child, Saint Mary and Joseph) under the protection of a praying angel with braided hair and whose wings are spread. The statue is on Saint Joseph’s chapel in Pascal Street, Riom. The sculptor was Raymond Coulon.

This deconsecrated chapel dates back to 1935-1940; it was built for the missionaries of the Society of Mary. It replaced another one built in 1871 for the same owners.

The nave has three vessels, divided by two colonnades and the front. Three domes that were supported by columns were replaced in 1967 by a concrete ceiling and glass bricks. The architect is unknown. The style is Romano-Byzantine.

In 1958, the chapel and the house to which it is attached were sold to M. Cordeboeuf de Montgon who set up the Regional Museum of Auvergne in them.

We interviewed three groups of local people about this sculpture. The group of elderly people told us that they did not like the unusual, symmetrical, style of the sculpture. The group of young adults said they quite liked it because the fact that it was all white made it look modern. The children told us that they had studied the sculpture at school and that it showed the baby Jesus and there was a beautiful angel who looked like a girl.

The angel speaks...

"I am the angel. Welcome! Let me tell you about the humble sculpture you are looking at. We are in a quiet street of Riom called Rue Pascal. I have been protecting the Holy Family here since 1943, above the door of the small and simple Saint Joseph chapel which dates from the end of the 19^th century. It was once a private chapel, but today it is part of the regional folk museum. Our sculptor was Raymond Coulon who made other beautiful statues in the region of Auvergne, some of which are very well known. We are made of white marble in a simple figurative Art Deco style. We are not very well known, but we decorate rather nicely, don’t you think? Mary is holding the infant Jesus and Joseph puts his left hand lovingly on the head of the infant."