Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig
Monument
Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig, located in Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.4613, 1.7606
- Mérimée Reference
- PA62000138
A bronze equestrian statue by Paul Landowski, a monumental tribute to Marshal Haig in Montreuil - the town that was the British Grand Headquarters during the Great War. A work of art and remembrance in the heart of the Pas-de-Calais.
History
In the heart of Montreuil-sur-Mer, a fortified town in the Pas-de-Calais region, stands an exceptional monument: the bronze equestrian statue of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces on the Western Front during the First World War. Created by Paul Landowski - the sculptor who also created the famous Christ of Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro - this work combines the solemnity of bronze with the classical nobility of equestrian statuary. What sets this monument apart from so many other military tributes is the intense link between the town and British history. Montreuil was the headquarters of the British Army's General Headquarters from 1916 to 1919, making this medieval town a strategic crossroads during the Great War. So Haig's presence here is not just symbolic: it is historically anchored in every cobbled street in the town. Landowski has captured the restrained authority of the Field Marshal with remarkable skill: the hieratic pose of the rider, the immobility of the horse, the sobriety of the Field Marshal's uniform - all convey the gravity of a command that weighed on the fate of millions of men. The life-size work is in the great tradition of French academic sculpture of the early 20th century. Around the monument, a landscaped setting carefully redesigned in the 1990s enhances the visitor experience: a calm stretch of water, an avenue of summer-scented lime trees and low flowerbeds create an atmosphere that is both contemplative and soothing. This plant life transforms contemplation into a memorial walk, inviting visitors to take time to reflect. Listed as a Historic Monument since 2012, this bronze statue is one of the few sculpted reminders of the Franco-British alliance forged in the trenches, and a discreet place of pilgrimage for military history enthusiasts and descendants of Commonwealth soldiers.
Architecture
The equestrian statue of Marshal Haig is fully in keeping with the classical tradition of French academic sculpture of the first third of the 20th century. Cast in life-size bronze, it depicts Marshal Douglas Haig on horseback, in a deliberately relaxed pose: the horse is immobilised, all four legs on the ground, breaking with the baroque convention of the rearing horse associated with conquerors. This stylistic choice is deliberate - it expresses mastery, restraint and silent authority rather than flashy warrior glory. The rider, dressed in his sober Field Marshal uniform, adopts a hieratic stance, gazing out towards the horizon, embodying the gravity of command. Paul Landowski, who trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and won the Prix de Rome, deploys his characteristic sculptural vocabulary here: the realistic, precise treatment of clothing and anatomical details, the search for a monumental balance between the mass of the horse and the verticality of the rider, and the subtle use of bronze surfaces to play with low-angled light. The base, sober and geometric, anchors the whole in the ground without excessive ostentation. The overall arrangement, reassembled around 1993, forms a landscape setting that extends and amplifies the interpretation of the work. The body of water at the foot of the monument creates a reflective effect that visually doubles the sculpture and gives it a greater presence. The framing of lime trees - trees with strong symbolic value in the French tradition of remembrance - forms a planted nave that channels the eye towards the central bronze, while the low flowerbeds preserve the legibility of the composition without competing with the statue.
Related Figures
Douglas Haig — Maréchal britannique, commandant en chef des forces britanniques sur le front occidental (1915-1918), dont le GQG fut établi à MontreuilPaul Landowski — Sculpteur français (1875-1961), auteur de la statue, également célèbre pour le Christ du Corcovado à Rio de JaneiroFerdinand Foch — Maréchal français et généralissime allié, partenaire stratégique de Haig dont les relations complexes marquèrent la conduite de la guerreGeorge V — Roi du Royaume-Uni pendant la Grande Guerre, dont le soutien moral aux troupes et aux commémorations donna tout son sens aux monuments franco-britanniquesNivelle, Robert — Général français dont la relève par Foch au commandement suprême modifia profondément les rapports avec Haig et l'état-major de Montreuil
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig located?
Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig is located in Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig built?
Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig open to visitors?
Monument au maréchal Douglas Haig is currently closed to visitors.