LA STATUE DU BARON D’ÉTIGNY

About

Crauck – 1889

The statue of Etigny is situated in the Parc des Quinconces, opposite the Imperial Prince’s Pavilion and in line with the avenue of the same name. The limestone plinth supports a statue of Antoine Mégret d’Etigny, which is carved from light-coloured Carrara marble. The four sides of the plinth are adorned with four marble plaques bearing inscriptions.

In 1860, the town council, under the leadership of Charles Tron, voted to allocate funds to erect a statue to Intendant d’Etigny, the founder of the spa resort in the 18th century. Following approval by imperial decree on 9 March 1861, the ministry recommended the sculptor Gustave Crauck, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome, with whom the town hall signed a contract on 28 December 1861.

The actual construction took longer to get under way: in May 1862, Edmond Chambert drew up a design for the monument featuring Crauck’s statue. He envisaged an antique-style plinth, adorned with triglyphs, and surrounded the monument with a small railing; he also proposed placing the statue opposite the entrance to the spa, in line with the Allée des Bains. The design was rejected at the meeting of 5 August 1862 by the General Council for Civil Buildings. The statue was exhibited at the 1873 Salon and arrived in Luchon in 1879. It was finally erected on 8 September 1889 on the Place des Quinconces.

Crauck had put forward a proposal for a pedestal for the statue because “the artist is truly the only one qualified to judge this matter (the proportions of the pedestal), upon which the effect of his work depends”. He wished to place it on a pile of rocks from which water would flow down into a basin. The unveiling of the statue, attended by Prefect Léon Cohn, was marked by two days of celebrations. The statue was moved back a few metres during the construction of the new Imperial Prince’s Pavilion in 1953, as it would otherwise have obstructed the view of the façade.