Art@Site www.artatsite.com Gaston Watkin Monument aux Etudiants Resistants
Artist:

Gaston Watkin

Title:

Monument aux Etudiants Resistants

Year:
1956
Adress:
Le Gardin du Luxembourg
Website:
Two poignant persons
A person stands upright with spread legs and projected long arms. This is a strong human. This sets my mind at rest. I have confidence in this person.
However, the hand is not strong enough to carry the other person. This feels sad to say goodbye. To be confronted with the death of a human being.
The face is slightly turned, pointing up. The eyes look at us. What do these eyes see? These eyes see a warcrime. These eyes and these buckled legs ray anger and opposition. These eyes are calling us to do the same at injustice.
The other man crumbles slowly. The head is bent. The energy has left the arms and shoulders. The last bit of power is flowing from the legs. This man has suffered and is slipping away.
Monument aux Etudiants by Gaston Watkin confronts with injustice, makes heartbroken and even calls us for resistance.
By Theo, www.artatsite.com

Twee aangrijpende mensen: Monument aux Etudiants Resistants, Gaston Watkin
Een persoon staat rechtop met gespreide benen en uitstaande lange armen. Dit is een sterk mens. Dit stelt mij gerust. Ik heb vertrouwen in deze mens.
Toch is te zien dat de hand niet sterk genoeg is om de andere mens te dragen. Dit voelt verdrietig om afscheid te nemen. Om geconfronteerd te worden met de dood van een mens.
Het gezicht is iets gedraaid, omhoog gericht. De ogen kijken ons aan. Wat zien deze ogen? Deze ogen zien een oorlogsmisdaad. Deze ogen en deze geknikte benen stralen boosheid uit en verzet. Deze ogen roepen op hetzelfde te doen bij onrecht.
De andere mens zakt langzaam ineen. Het hoofd is gebogen. De energie is uit de armen en schouders. Het laatste beetje kracht stroomt uit de benen. Deze mens heeft geleden en is ons ontvallen.
Monument aux Etudiants van Gaston Watkin confronteert met onrecht, maakt verdrietig en roept ons zelfs op tot verzet.
By Theo, www.artatsite.com

www.eklablog.com:
Situe pres du Quartier Latin, en regard de la Sorbonne, de la faculte de medecine et des autres lieux d'etude, ce memorial rend hommage aux etudiants resistants. Pour ce monument, realise grâce a une souscription nationale, l'artiste s'est inspire du chant des Partisans:
"Ami, si tu tombes, un ami sort de l'ombre a ta place"
Le monument se presente comme le symbole du sacrifice de la jeunesse. Il a ete inaugure le 29 avril 1956. Une ceremonie a la memoire des etudiants morts pour faits de resistance se deroule chaque annee entre le 20 et 30 mai.
Des chants (le chant des Partisans, le chant des Marais), des lettres, des poemes sont lus pendant cet hommage par des lyceens."A ma mere" a ete ecrit a Fresnes en juin 1943. Gisele Guillemot et les membres du reseau FTPF normand auxquels ils appartiennent sont condamnes a mort le 13 juillet 1943. Les quatorze hommes sont fusilles au Mont-Valerien, les deux femmes, Gisele et Edmonde - l'institutrice du village - sont classees" Nacht und Nebel" et deportees en Allemagne.
(le dernier fragment:)
Ecoute Maman, il faut que tu comprennes
Ecoute ne pleure pas ...
Demain sans doute ils vont nous tuer
C'est dur de mourir a vingt ans
Mais sous la neige germe le ble
Et les pommiers deja bourgeonnent
Ne pleure pas,
Demain il fera si beau.

www.wikipedia.org:
Gaston Clotaire Watkin, ne 17 septembre 1916 a Toulouse, et mort le 2 mai 20111 a Meudon, est un sculpteur et vitrailliste français.
De la figuration a l'abstraction, de la pierre au vitrail, en passant par le bronze, la tole, le beton et les tiges d’acier, Gaston Watkin fut anime d’une exigence d’interiorite, travaillant sur l'apesanteur et la symbolique. Il est l'auteur de nombreux monuments a travers la France dont le Monument aux etudiants morts pour la patrie, au jardin du Luxembourg a Paris, et la statue de la vierge de l'eglise Notre-Dame de Royan. Il a aussi realise deux sculptures a Maille (Indre-et-Loire) en hommage aux victimes du massacre des habitants de ce village par les troupes allemandes le 25 août 1944. Il est represente au palais des beaux-arts de Lille par une sculpture en pierre intitulee La Seve.

Translation
www.eklablog.com:
Located near the Latin Quarter, next to the Sorbonne, the medical school and other places of study, this memorial honors resistant by students. For this monument, made by a national subscription, the artist was inspired by the song of the Partisans:
"Friend, if you fall, a friend stands out of the shadows in your place"
The monument stands as the symbol of the sacrifice of youth. It was inaugurated on April 29, 1956. A ceremony in memory of the dead students for acts of resistance takes place every year between 20 and 30 May.
Songs (the song of the Partisans, the song of the Marais), letters, poems are read during the tribute by students."To my mother" was written in Fresnes in June 1943. Gisele Guillemot and members of the Norman FTPF network to which they belong are sentenced to death on July 13, 1943. Fourteen men were shot at Mont Valerien, the two women, Gisele and Edmonde - the teacher of the village - are classified"Nacht und Nebel" and deported to Germany.
(the last fragment :)
Look Mom, we need you to understand
Listen do not cry ...
Tomorrow they'll probably kill us
It's hard to die at twenty
But under the snow wheat germ
And apple trees are budding already
Do not cry, France Tomorrow, it will be so beautiful.

www.wikipedia.org:
Clotaire Gaston Watkin, born September 17, 1916 in Toulouse, and died May 2 in Meudon 20111, is a French sculptor and stained glass.
From figuration to abstraction, stone stained glass, through bronze, sheet metal, concrete and steel rods, Gaston Watkin was motivated by a requirement of interiority, and working in weightlessness symbolic. He is the author of numerous monuments throughout France, for instance the Memorial students for their country, Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, and the statue of the virgin of Notre-Dame de Royan. He also made two sculptures Maille (Indre-et-Loire) for the victims of the massacre of the inhabitants of this village by German troops August 25, 1944. He is represented in Lille Palace of Fine Arts with a sculpture stone titled Sap.

www.eutouring.com:
You will find numerous different monuments and statues in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the monument Etudiants morts dans la Resistance Monument by the French sculptor Gaston Watkin is one of them.
The statue shows a man standing, and a man fallen. The artist Gaston Watkin was inspired by the song of the Partisans with a line that said; Friend, if you fall, a friend out of the shadows in your place, to depict the strength, honour and valour that the students of the Resistance had for their country.
Flowers and wreaths have been laid at the base, because it is actually a memorial monument to commemorate the students and young people who died in the French resistance during World War II.
Jardin du Luxembourg is very close to the Sorbonne and many other places of study, along with being close to the Latin Quarter of Paris, and it is these places that have the highest concentration of students.
The caption on the base reads; Erige par les etudiants en hommage a leurs aines, which translates in English to; Erected by students in tribute to their elders.
This memorial monument was sculpted in bronze, and standing at a height of 3.75 metres, it was produced in 1954 by the artist Gaston Watkin, and paid for by a national subscription, with its official inauguration within the Luxembourg Gardens taking place on the 29th April 1956.
Gaston Watkin was a French sculptor born in Toulouse in September 1916. He worked with numerous different materials from stone to marble and bronze to steel. He was also an art teacher, yet still made time to produce numerous monumental statues and memorials that can be found all over France, prior to his passing in the May of 2011.