Monument de Jean Colardeau
MonumentHidden Treasure
On the Place d'Orléans in Janville-en-Beauce, this stone and bronze monument pays tribute to the poet Charles-Pierre Colardeau, a local boy who was celebrated in the 18th century. It was inaugurated in 1904 in a highly theatrical architectural setting.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the Beauce plain, on the vast esplanade of the Place d'Orléans, which extends into the Mall Colardeau, stands a monument to the glory of an illustrious son whom posterity has somewhat forgotten, but whom his contemporaries praised: Charles-Pierre Colardeau, a poet of the second half of the 18th century, born in Janville in 1732. The monument, listed as a Historic Monument in April 2025, bears witness to the civic zeal of an entire community determined to honour its local genius with a solemnity worthy of the great cities. What makes this monument so special is not so much its scale - modest in comparison with the great Republican commissions - as the density of the intentions that shaped it. The architectural composition, by Chartres architect Raoul Brandon, adopts a deliberately theatrical atmosphere, with the sculpted stone base in dialogue with the bronze bust of the poet, creating a commemorative setting that borrows as much from the classical heritage as from the codes of Belle Époque republican statuary. To visit this monument is to immerse yourself in the spirit of a time when every commune in France dreamed of erecting its own effigy, when public sculpture was as much a political act as an aesthetic one. The surrounding esplanade, generously proportioned, is an invitation to stroll and offers the necessary distance to appreciate the verticality of the base and the serenity of the bust. The Mall Colardeau extends the stroll through a wooded setting typical of provincial town planning during the Third Republic. The monument is part of a quiet urban fabric, far from the tourist crowds, giving it an almost intimate atmosphere despite its public vocation. For those with a passion for literary history or commemorative art, it's an invaluable stop-off point on the Beauceron heritage trail, just a stone's throw from Chartres and its cathedral.
Architecture
Jean Colardeau's monument adopts the formal language of Belle Époque republican commemoration, a dominant trend in France at the turn of the 20th century, when every town had to honour its great men with a formal sculptural work. The architect Raoul Brandon designed an ensemble whose main feature is its theatrical character: the carefully sculpted carved stone base rises above the level of the esplanade, creating a break in scale that gives the bronze bust a solemn presence in the urban landscape. The base, made of ashlar probably quarried in the Centre region, probably features sculpted decorative elements - cartouches, mouldings or bas-reliefs - in keeping with the conventions of the genre. The bronze bust of the poet, the centrepiece of the composition, recreates Colardeau's features with the idealised realism typical of commemorative sculpture of the period. The ensemble is located at the end of the rue de la Porte d'Orléans, giving it axial visibility from several vantage points and reinforcing its role as an urban focal point. The Place d'Orléans esplanade, which extends into the Colardeau walkway, forms a green and mineral setting that enhances the monument and gives it a typically provincial garden-monument feel. This relationship between the sculpted work and its landscaped setting is characteristic of the urban planning of the Third Republic, which was keen to inscribe the collective memory in public spaces that were attractive and accessible to all.
Related Figures
Charles-Pierre Colardeau (1732-1776) — poète néoclassique, fils de Janville, académicien français, figure centrale du monumentRaoul Brandon (1878-1941) — architecte chartrain, concepteur du monumentEugène Guillaume (1822-1905) — sculpteur, directeur de l'École des Beaux-Arts, membre du comité d'honneurGustave Lhopiteau (1860-1941) — député d'Eure-et-Loir, membre du comité d'honneurLe maire de Bondy (vers 1900) — descendant du poète, initiateur du projet avec un don de 300 francs
