How does a poem become a monument? Here before us stands the Monument à Arthur Rimbaud, le bateau ivre. It is located in Marseille’s Parc Balnéaire du Prado. This sculpture pays homage to the poet Arthur Rimbaud.
Rimbaud died in Marseille in 1891. He passed away at the Hôpital de la Conception. It was in the Baille district. The city of Marseille and the Ministry of Culture commissioned this monument. This joint effort occurred on January 29 1989.
Jean Amado created this work of art. He was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1922. Amado started as a ceramicist. He soon moved to monumental sculptures. He initially used terracotta. Later, he invented his own material. This new medium allowed him a special technique. He could cut and assemble pieces expertly.
Amado’s works include enameled panels and fountains. They also include bas-reliefs. These pieces can be found in public spaces. They adorn monuments in cities like Algiers and Lyon. You can also find them in Marseille and Paris.
Notable works by Amado include reliefs at Les Érables in Lyon completed in 1968. Another is the Grand Navire sculpture completed in 1971. It is in the Parc floral du bois de Vincennes. Also in 1971, he created a fountain for Place des Cardeurs in Aix-en-Provence. In 1986, he made the La Muraille fountain. It is located at Place de la République Ivry-sur-Seine.
Jean Dubuffet encouraged Amado early on. In 1969, he introduced him to Jean-François Jaeger. Jaeger was a gallery owner at Galerie Jeanne Bucher. He championed Amado’s work.
Amado’s first workshop was in his family’s house. It was in the heart of Aix. In 1953, he and his partner decided to get a larger space. It was in Célony near Aix-en-Provence. This new workshop was 150 square meters. It had two large kilns. Today, the workshop presents and repairs sculptures. It prepares them for outdoor exhibits.
Public and private commissions allowed for large sculptures. These were placed in Parc Floral de Vincennes and Telecom Paris. Others were placed in Ivry and Aubervilliers. The Monument à Arthur Rimbaud in Marseille is a high point. It has been here since 1989.
A granite slab sits near the Monument à Arthur Rimbaud, le bateau ivre. It features an excerpt from Rimbaud’s poem “Le Bateau Ivre”. The excerpt reads: “I know the skies bursting into lightning, and the waterspouts. And the churning currents, I know the evening. Dawn exalted like a flock of doves. And I have sometimes seen what man has believed he has seen.”
Jean Amado also created sculptures for private collections. Museums and foundations also display his works. Many exhibitions have showcased Amado in France and abroad.
Critics like Christian Bobin and Jean-Luc Daval have analyzed his work. After his death in 1995, exhibitions continued to celebrate him. A major retrospective took place in Aix-en-Provence in 1997. Another significant exhibition occurred in 2008. In March 2018, the Galerie Jeanne Bucher displayed his drawings.
The Monument à Arthur Rimbaud, le bateau ivre stands. It reminds us of Rimbaud’s enduring influence. It also shows Amado’s artistic vision. It combines poetry and sculpture.