Le Gaulois Mourant

Tom GRELLIER & Enguerrand LAMY write...

This 1902 statue, made of marble, on top of a grotto, is situated in Virlogeux square, Riom. The sculptor is Henri Leon Greber. A man tries to save his friend whose left arm is injured. Our photo was taken from a low angle to give a dramatic effect. The fuzzy effect is our way of symbolizing an event forgotten in the mists of time… There is a plaster cast entitled "The Death of the Chief".

Henri-Léon Gréber (born in Beauvais in 1854, died in Paris in 1941) is a French sculptor, engraver and ceramist. He was the student of Antonin Mercie at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He is the father of the architect Jacques Gréber. He made many patriotic works, such as:

• 1880: La Résistance, a marble statue in Dijon
• 1900: L’industrie, a limestone statue at the Grand Palais in Paris
• 1913: statue of Emmanuel Frémiet in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.
• 1919: Monument to the teachers from the Lycée François Truffaut who died in the war, Beauvais
• 1921: War memorial, Montreuil-sur-Mer

The statue is in Virlogeux square. A square is a place for walking and relaxation in an urban setting (‘Irrespective of the more or less extensive farms, we find in our cities smaller spaces, but which are nonetheless a very important contribution from the perspective of aesthetics and hygiene. Whenever the imperative necessities of circulation permit, all the available seats are to be transformed into lawns and planted. In general, it gives these places the name of squares’ according to The Good Gardener, 1947).

During the second half of the eighteenth century, the triangular plot of one hectare was a mulberry nursery for rearing silkworms. The planted area, on the outskirts of the boulevards, was, during the revolutionary period, converted into a ground for country fairs where the butchers of the city come to buy animals. 

Then, from 1858 to 1868, it served as a training ground for the nearby Vercingetorix barracks. It was provisionally a landscaped garden for the visit of Napoleon III on 5^th July 1862 hence its name at the time of Square Napoleon. A few years later, it was landscaped as we see it today (including the grotto and double basin with footbridge).

The triumphal arch, a First World War Memorial, was added in 1923. The Dying Gaul and La Marseillaise (1902) by Ernest Dagonet (1856-1926) have a patriotic aim. The statue in Carrera marble of Narcissus (1814) by Sébastien Caldelari was given to the City of Riom to decorate the square.

In 2011 began a major clean-up of the square (the chestnut, plum and maple trees were cut down and replaced by hawthorn, magnolia, cherry and birch).

A 1920s map of Riom

Virlogeux square is south of the town centre

Interviews of local people about what they think of the sculpture

An elderly person: “This statue is part of my daily life. I live next to this square. I find it significant cultural heritage of our Auvergne. Artistically, it is well done.”

A young person: “I like it! I want to be a soldier in the future, so I like this virile statue!”

A student: “I often go to this park, I have seen this statue and I think it’s really horrible! I'm not interested in the heritage of the city of Riom because I find that it’s an ugly city. I would prefer to live in New York (laughing)”.

A teacher: “This statue is just amazing! I have already studied this statue with my pupils and they adored studying this period of history! Moreover the park is quiet and very beautiful! I often come to feed the pigeons in this park.”

We asked twenty other people if they liked the statue and if they thought it was well situated; the majority said yes. We also asked them if they knew about the history of the statue (sculptor, date, significance, etc.); the majority said they did not.

The soldier speaks...

“Help, someone, help, my friend is hurt! Marcus, don’t abandon me, Marcus! You taught me to fight, to be brave. Marcus, this war has no meaning without you; you saved my life so many times. My friend, my protector, do not die! Damn these Romans! Gergovia was our victory but Vercingetorix still needs us; Caesar has sent two legions after us; we must keep fighting if we don’t want to be made prisoners! I swear to you, Marcus, if you die, I will not mourn your death, no, not until I have killed the Roman dog who has hurt you!”