Cultural differences that matter

In France, 11 November is a public holiday that commemorates the end of the first world war.

French people don’t wear poppies on their lapel. They don’t observe Armistice Day as they do other holidays, such as All Saints’ Day (Toussaint).

France is dotted by memorials to the war dead. Nearly every town in France has one, usually in a central square. Even in the smallest town, a surprisingly long list of names –often five or six from the same family– is inscribed on the monument.

Monuments often are austere, with simple design and a list of names. (The monuments aren’t tombs, but one sobering aspect is that the remains of those listed, in many cases, never were recovered.) Some feature allegorical sculpture that, for me, does not strike a martial note; the tone set instead is loss or sacrifice.

This post features one such monument by François Cogne, La leçon d’histoire (The History Lesson, 1921). It’s inside the courtyard of the Lycée Carnot in Paris. The photo is by Alain Chambord (2008).