Amiens - Monument des Illustrations Picardes

The top of the monument is a large allegorical group of Carrara marble representing sculpture as a seated woman (1), her left hand caressing the hair of the bust of the poet Jean-Baptiste Gresset (2). A child kneels on her right and shows a shield on which Forceville's dedication is written (3). Behind sits a lion, symbolizing strength and dominance, with his paw on the coat of arms of Picardy (4).

Directly below this group, are on four sides of the octogonal base four marble portrait medaillions (D). The base has two levels, with the lower level having four protruding pedestals carrying four marble statues (A). In the sides between the statues are niches with bronze busts (B). On the pedestals below the statues are bronze portrait medallions (C). On the south side between the pedestals is a bronze relief L'Industrie (4), the three other sides have texts: on the north face the dedication by the sculptor and on the other two sides names.

1 Allegory of Sculpture	2 gresset Jean-Baptiste Gresset (Amiens 1709 - Amiens 1777) French poet (Wikipedia)	3 Boy with dedicatory shield with text "aux \| illustrations \| picardes \| homage \| de l'auteur \| G. de Forceville"	4 Lion
A1 robert de luzarches Robert de Luzarches (c. 1160 - 1222) architect of the Cathedral of Amiens (Wikipedia).	A2 blasset Nicolas Blasset (Amiens 1600 - Amiens 1659) sculptor. At his feet, a reproduction of the Ange pleureur (Weeping Angel) (see below) (Wikipedia).	A3 delambre Jean-Baptiste Delambre (Amiens 1749 - Paris 1822) French astronomer and mathematician (Wikipedia).	A4 foy Maximilien-Sébastien Foy (Ham 1775 - Paris 1825) French military leader, statesman and writer (Wikipedia).
B1 sauvage Frédéric Sauvage (Boulogne-sur-Mer 1785 - Paris 1857) French boat builder who carried out early tests of screw-type marine propellers In his hand a banner with the text industrie picarde \| appliation de l'hélice \| a la navigation. (Wikipedia).	B2 de la morliere Adrien de La Morlière (Montdidier c. 1560-1639) French historian.	B3 marie de la hotoie Marie de la Hotoie supposed donor of land that bears her name. In her hand a letter with the text marie\| de \| LA HOTOIE \| donation \| a \| la ville \| D'AMIENS	B4 de gribeauval Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval (Amiens 1715 - Paris 1789) French artillery officer and engineer who revolutionized French cannon (Wikipedia).
C1 sanson Nicolas Sanson d'Abbeville (Abbeville 1600 - Paris 1667) French geographer and cartographer (Wikipedia).	C2 s^t geoffroy Saint Geoffroy (Moulincourt c. 1066 - Soissons 1115) Bishop of Amiens, 1104-1115 (Wikipedia).	C3 boucher de perthes Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes (Rethel 1788 - Abbeville 1868) French archaeologist and antiquary notable for his discovery of flint tools in the gravels of the Somme valley (c. 1830) (Wikipedia).	C4 voiture Vincent Voiture (Amiens 1598 - Paris 1648) French poet (Wikipedia).
D1 mellan graveur Claude Mellan (Abbeville 1598 - Paris 1688) French engraver and painter (Wikipedia).	D2 dumeril naturaliste André Duméril (Amiens 1774 - Paris 1861) French physician and zoologist (Wikipedia).	D3 dom bouquet historien Dom Martin Bouquet (Amiens 1685 - Paris 1754) French Benedictine and historian (Wikipedia).	D4 alexandre helleniste Charles Alexandre (Amiens 1797 - Paris 1870) French Hellenist.

On the south side a allegory of industry with a tablet on which the industries and products of Picardie listed:

The 34 names on the sides are selected by committees of the Académie d'Amiens and the Société des Antiquaires de Picardie, and were ratified on 23 april 1877:

dom GRENIER historien
famille d'HEILLY
HAUY biologiste
LEMOINE cardinal
LAMARCK naturalise
LEGRAND d'AUSSY archeologue hist.
MILLEVOYE poete
famille de MAILLY
PATIN medecin
francois de POILLY graveur
RIOLAN medecin
RAMUS philosophe
van ROBAIS industriel
SAINTE-BEUVE critique
frederic SAUVAGE inv. mecanicien
VADE poete
VASCOSAN imprimeur

DUCANGE erudit
GRESSET poete
JEANNE HACHETTE
LATOUR peintre
LESUEUR compositeur
PIERRE L'HERMITE
LHOMOND grammairien
PARMENTIER agronome
SARRASIN sculpteur
d'AILLY cardinal
CALVIN theologien reformateur
CREQUY famille de
CONDORCET economiste
DAIRE historien
MARIE FOURE heroine
GALLAND antoine orientaliste
PONGERVILLE poete litterateur

Amiens - Monument des Illustrations Picardes

L'Ange pleureur (Weeping Angel) at the feet of the statue of the sculptor Nicolas Blasset (A2). The original is in the cathedral of Amiens on the tomb of tha canon Lucas (1628), see Wikipedia.

Statues - Hither & Thither

Monument des Illustrations Picardes

Monument to Illustrious Picardians

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Inscription(s)

Sculptor

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Locatie (N 49°53'16" - E 2°18'11") (Satellite view: Google Maps)