Charles Desvergnes

Desvergnes was born in Bellegarde in Loiret, the son of a working-class family; his father was a baker.

The Conseil Général du Loiret and his home town financed his years as a student and he was to win several prizes whilst at the school.

His major break through came with a commission to work on the monument at Melun, another Franco-Prussian war memorial.

It was his long collaboration with Marcel Marron in Orleans that was to ensure that Desvergnes' work had the maximum exposure.

The loss of life had been enormous and every city, town and village in France felt the need to honour those who had lost their lives.

Towards the end of his life, Desvergnes left a collection of his work to his home town of Bellegarde, where it can be seen at the Pavillon d'Antin.

": LE 3 SEPTEMBRE 1427 / APRES TROIS MOIS D'HEROIQUES EFFORTS / LES MILICES MONTARGOISES SECOURUES PAR DUBOIS / POTHON [?]

The next model dates to 1912 and is entitled "Jeanne d'Arc s'élevant a la Gloire Céleste".

He stands triumphant with left arm raised whilst his right hand rests on his sword.

[30] Some of Desvergnes' monument aux morts are listed below as are details of his statues of Joan of Arc.

The lists identify where monument aux morts were made and marketed through Masson, and have been recorded where possible by the model involved.

Otherwise Desvergnes did work with other founders or other marketing arms and also produced the occasional monument aux mort independently.

The composition of "Ange de reconnaissance couronnant un poilu" comprises an angel, a soldier and a central upright stone.

She is pointing to the figure of Christ on the cross which is behind them and which appears to be rising up from the trenches where we see soldiers carrying the wounded away from the front line.

In the centre Desvergnes depicted the crucified Christ and to the left an angel carrying some laurel.