Charles de Bonchamps is a commander of the "Armée Catholique et Royale de Vendée", he was born in Juvardeil on May 10, 1760 and died on October 18, 1793 at La Meilleraie near Varades where his army took refuge. He was mortally wounded during the battle of Cholet on October 17, 1793 and when he died he pardoned nearly 5,000 Republican soldiers whom he had taken prisoner and who were held in this abbey, making him go down in history.
Among these 5,000 Republican soldiers was the father of the future Angers sculptor David d'Angers.
Between 1917 and 1924, David d'Angers made the "Pardon de Bonchamps", the tomb of General Charles de Bonchamps containing his remains that you have in front of you. The upper part of the tomb depicts him wounded ordering the pardon of Republican prisoners. Bonchamps is depicted half-recumbent, his legs are covered with a military coat which leaves bare his powerful torso marked by injury, and his raised hand expresses both authority and clemency.
The materials used by David d'Angers are exclusively marbles from France and Italy. He uses four different types of marble: black marble, gray black marble with white veins, white marble and beige marble.
Marble is a metamorphic rock derived from limestone and consisting mainly of calcite crystals which can be of different colors. Marble is limestone or dolomite that has been recrystallized by heat and pressure. Some varieties of marble may consist almost exclusively of calcite, this is called calcitic marble; or their composition is essentially dolomitic, then we have a dolomitic marble.
The tomb of General Charles de Bonchamps is located in the abbey church, please respect the place and the tomb.
Black Marble :
Black marble is a marble that is characterized by a deep black with very few or no reflections.
White veined gray black marble :
White veined gray black marble is a black marble but which coexists with long and wide white veins. Marble is easily recognizable as it is the only type of black marble with such visible white veins.
White marble :
Pure white marble is the result of the metamorphism of a protolith of very pure limestone or dolomite (silicate-poor). White marble is a white colored marble having slight visible veins on its texture. This is the type of marble color that is most commonly found in quarries.
Beige marble :
Beige marble is a marble with a white tint but having a slightly darker texture. Beige marble, unlike other types of marble, is extremely brittle, which makes it difficult to carve.
THE QUESTIONS :
Question 1 : Describe the location of each marble mentioned above on the tomb of General Bonchamps.
Question 2 : Observe the upper part of the tomb representing Charles de Bonchamps semi-recumbent, how does the size of the marble appear to you? Given the type of marble used to represent it, did the sculptor pay attention when sculpting it?
Question 3 : Observe the texture of the four marbles, how does she look to you ?
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Log this cache "Found it" and send me your proposed answers either via my profile or via geocaching.com messaging (Message Center) and I will contact you if there is a problem.
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