Jean Joncourt was a French sculptor born in
Irvillac
Irvillac (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
In French the inhabitants of Irvillac are known as ''Irvillacois''.
See also
*Communes of the Finistère depa ...
in 1869 and who died in 1937. He is well known for his work on war memorials.
Biography
Jean Joncourt was born in
Irvillac
Irvillac (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
In French the inhabitants of Irvillac are known as ''Irvillacois''.
See also
*Communes of the Finistère depa ...
on 31 December 1869. There is no record of his having received any academic training in sculpture and at the age of 20 he was registered as a mason. He was called up for military service and served in the 1st Regiment of Engineers from November 1890 to September 1891. In 1896 he moved to
Quimperlé and married Marie Marguerite Derrien, who had been born in
Clohars-Carnoët
Clohars-Carnoët (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The beach resort of Le Pouldu, with the beaches of Bellangenet and Kerrou, is located in the town.
Geography
The commune has two small harbours: ...
in 1872. The census of 1911 recorded Joncourt as working as a sculptor, with a daughter born in 1897, a son in 1903 and a second daughter in 1904. In 1914 he received mobilization papers and is recorded as having served in April 1915 in the 1st Battalion Territorial Engineers and then the 65th Infantry moving on to the 23rd "Escadron du Train". In October 1917, Joncourt appears in official records as running a funeral parlour in Quimperlé's rue Savary. He worked on war memorials and funereal sculpture and appears at one time to have run a building business. Most of his war memorials use the same sculptural decoration. These are dealt with below
War memorials
After the 1914-1918 war there was a huge demand for war memorials and many required the services of a sculptor. Joncourt worked on many in the canton of Quimperlé where he was a resident. There was in fact a general rule adopted that the sculptors chosen to work on any particular communes war memorial would have been born in, or lived in, or had some familial tie to that commune. Joncourt is credited with involvement with all the Quimperlé area's war memorials except
Quimperlé itself where the war memorial, located in Saint David's cemetery, has a sculpture made by the Marbreries générales Gourdon de Paris who were one of the many firms in France who actually marketed sculptures specifically for war memorials and published a catalogue for marketing purposes. Their sculpture for Quimperlé was unusually a one/off composition just created for the Quimperlé memorial.
Joncourt is credited with working on the war memorials of Querrien, Saint-Thurien, Tréméven, Névez, Baye, Mellac and Quéven in
Morbihan. He worked in
kersantite
Lamprophyres () are uncommon, small-volume ultrapotassic igneous rocks primarily occurring as dike (geology), dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stock (geology), stocks, and small igneous intrusion, intrusions. They are alkali metal, alkaline silica-s ...
and given the modest budgets of such rural communities kept his work to a soldier in either
bas-relief or
haut relief on the obelisk's main face with a
Croix de Guerre
The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
a marine anchor or suitable republican symbols added.
Baye War Memorial
Located in the cemetery of the Église paroissiale Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens is the 1921
Baye war memorial with sculptural decoration by Joncourt. The inscription is in both Breton and French. Joncourt carves on the monument in bas-relief the head of a helmeted soldier. The soldier has the Croix de Guerre on a ribbon around his neck and another larger Croix de Guerre sits on the top of the monument. .
Tréméven War Memorial
In the cemetery next to the Église paroissiale Saint-Méen is
Tréméven's war memorial which dates to 1920. Joncourt carried out the sculptural decoration in kersantite. He depicts a croix de guerre and a laurel leaf and the inscription reads 84 men of Tréméven gave their lives in the two World Wars.
Querrien War Memorial
The
Querrien
Querrien (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Querrien are called in French ''Querriennois''.
Geography
The village centre is located north of Quimperlé.
Neighbouring ...
War Memorial stands in a small commune that lost 158 men. Joncourt uses his stock profile of a standing soldier with rifle and also adds a bas-relief depicting a field gun and a flaming torch. He uses kersantite.
Saint-Thurien War Memorial
Inaugurated 1 May 1921 the
Saint-Thurien War Memorial repeats the sculptural decoration used for
Clohars-Carnoët
Clohars-Carnoët (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The beach resort of Le Pouldu, with the beaches of Bellangenet and Kerrou, is located in the town.
Geography
The commune has two small harbours: ...
,
Querrien
Querrien (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Querrien are called in French ''Querriennois''.
Geography
The village centre is located north of Quimperlé.
Neighbouring ...
,
Quéven
Quéven (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.
History
During World War I, Quéven lost one hundred and one of its children.
85% of the town was destroyed in World War II. In January 1945, the cit ...
, Penhars, Kernevel,
Roudouallec and
Le Trévoux
Le Trévoux (; br, An Treoù-Kerne) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
Inhabitants of Le Trévoux are called in French ''Trévoltois''.
Map
See also
*Communes of the Finistère depart ...
Penhars War Memorial
This memorial stands in Penhars' cemetery and was inaugurated on the 6 November 1921.
Kernével War Memorial
Inaugurated 17 April 1922. 181 men from this commune gave their lives in the two World Wars.
Quéven War Memorial
The
Quéven
Quéven (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.
History
During World War I, Quéven lost one hundred and one of its children.
85% of the town was destroyed in World War II. In January 1945, the cit ...
War Memorial is a repeat of the Saint Thueren sculpture.
Névez War Memorial
Inaugurated 17 July 1921, the
Névez War Memorial using kersantite, depicts a soldier holding a flag whilst a sailor looks on. The memorial has a bas-relief depicting a cannon and the Croix de Guerre at the top.
Plobannalec-Lesconil War Memorial
Inaugurated 3 April 1923, the
Plobannalec-Lesconil
Plobannalec-Lesconil (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
Inhabitants of Plobannalec-Lesconil are called in French ''Lesconilois'' or ''Plobannalecois''.
See also
*Communes of the Fini ...
War Memorial depicts a standing soldier with rifle with the Croix de Guerre at the top and a bas-relief depicting a cannon.
Rédené War Memorial
Erected in 1920, the
Rédené
Rédené (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The poet Gérard Le Gouic winner of the 1973 Prix Breizh and the 1980 Prix Antonin-Artaud was born in Rédené.
Population
Inhabitants of Rédené are ...
War Memorial, topped with a depiction of Christ on the Cross, has a kersantite relief by Joncourt depicting a flag and sword. The inscription reads A total of 72 names are listed with a few being of men killed in the 1939-1945 conflict.
Arzano, Finistère War Memorial
The
Arzano, Finistère
Arzano (; br, An Arzhanaou) is a commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. It lies on the D22 road.
Population
Inhabitants of Arzano are called ''Arzanois''.
Geography
The village centre is located northeast ...
War Memorial depicts a helmeted soldier about to throw a grenade. The work is in Kersanite and the inscription reads The war memorial stands in front of the Arzano parish church and remembers the 81 men killed in the 1914-1918 war.
Clohars-Carnoët War Memorial
The
Clohars-Carnoët
Clohars-Carnoët (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The beach resort of Le Pouldu, with the beaches of Bellangenet and Kerrou, is located in the town.
Geography
The commune has two small harbours: ...
War Memorial stands at the entrance to the Clohars-Carnoët cemetery and Joncourt uses his depiction of a soldier with rifle a work he was to use often and adds at the request of the commune a crowing cockerel at the top of the memorial the bird having one claw on a globe on which is written "Liberté", and an anchor recalling the role of the sea in the lives of the 150 men remembered. On each side of the triumphant cockerel are the heads of two women. One is a widow wearing a Breton headress whilst other is a "Marianne" type figure representing the republic.
Locunolé War Memorial
The
Locunolé
Locunolé (; br, Lokunole) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Toponymy
From the Breton ''loc'' which means hermitage and 'unolé' which derive from Saint Guénolé.
Geography
The village centre i ...
War Memorial is a simple kersantite relief depicting a flag, helmet and sword decorate the memorial which also bears the croix de guerre. The inscription is added in both French and Latin. Attributed to Joncourt but this is not completely certain.
Moëlan-sur-Mer War Memorial
The
Moëlan-sur-Mer
Moëlan-sur-Mer (, literally ''Moëlan on Sea''; br, Molan) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
In French the inhabitants of Moëlan-sur-Mer are known as ''Moëla ...
War Memorial stands in a commune that lost 264 men in the two world wars.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joncourt, Jean
1869 births
1937 deaths
20th-century French sculptors
19th-century French sculptors
French male sculptors
19th-century French male artists