Paul Chevré
Sculptor and Titanic survivor (1866–1914)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Chevré (5 July 1866–20 February 1914) was a French, Brussels-born sculptor who gained fame in Montréal after creating the Samuel de Champlain monument.[1] He is the son of another sculptor, Romain Paul Chevré.[2]
5 July 1866
Paul Chevré | |
|---|---|
Chevré circa 1910. This picture was widely publicized after the Titanic's sinking. | |
| Born | Paul Romaine Marie Léonce Chevré 5 July 1866 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 20 February 1914 (aged 47) |
Samuel de Champlain was the founder of Québec, and the committee that selected the sculptor of his monument began its work on 2 January 1896 under the leadership of the politician Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, and it comprised artists like Napoléon Bourassa and François-Xavier Berlinguet. The decision to have Paul Chevré create the monument was controversial, as the regionally famed, native sculptor Philippe Hébert was not selected, despite proposing a very similar style.[3] In 1900, he was awarded with a bronze medal at the Paris International Exhibition.[4] His bronze public art work, Marianne (La République) (1913) is located in front of the Union Française building of Montréal.[5] He was awarded with a commission in 1909 to produce a monument for Honoré Mercier, 9th premier of Québec. In 1911, he created a statue of François-Xavier Garneau, a Canadian historian.[4]
He is known for being a passenger on the Titanic's only voyage, and he survived on a life raft.[2]
Chevré spent the time between the disaster and his death travelling between Canada and France, and he died in Asnières-sur-Seine near Paris.[2]
Works
Samuel de Champlain monument (1898)
Monument to François-Xavier Garneau (1912)
Monument to Honoré Mercier
"Marianne ou La République" (1913)
