Camille Debert (1867-1935): Bronze Statue From 1886, Survivor Of World War I

Camille Debert (1867-1935): Portrait of Odilon, bronze from 1886, a World War I survivor. This bronze bas-relief with a brown patina, made using the sand casting technique, depicts Odilon Debert at the age of seven. Signed and dated 1886, this early work by Camille Debert captures the profile of his younger brother with a precision characteristic of the late 19th-century French school. The object holds particular historical significance related to the First World War. An inscription on the reverse attests that the piece was found in the ruins of the conflict, probably in Bailleul, the artist's birthplace, which was 98% destroyed in 1918 during the Battle of the Lys. A vertical fracture, running from the nose to the chin, testifies to the severity of the damage suffered during the destruction of the family home. This break was previously repaired with patinated tin. This makeshift repair, which may have been carried out by the sculptor himself after the work was discovered in the rubble, gives this portrait a dual artistic and memorial value. Camille Debert occupies a central place in the reconstruction of Northern France. Designer of the Bailleul War Memorial (1925), he left his mark on local history by incorporating fragments of actual ruins into his commemorative works. This private portrait, potentially saved and stabilized by the artist, is part of this effort to preserve family heritage in the face of the destruction of the Great War. Dimensions: Plaque: 31 x 22 cm; Frame: Condition: Restored with tin on the profile (old restoration from the period).