the paint of the Chapelle Saint Clément

This triptych was realized by Jean Pierre PONNELLE, artist of great renown. In 1960, it is called to make its conscription in GERMANY. His boss, having known his artistic talents, asked him to paint a fresco to decorate the chapel Notre-Dame de la Paix to BADEN.

The young painter applied the life of the Christian serviceman from the slogan of the general notified on the sword placed at the foot of the origin. "DUM CREDO VINCO" " If I have the faith, I shall overcome ".

Following the Christ, died on the cross for the sake of the Humanity, the soldier takes over in the defense of the life of the city. Everywhere, it is present so that the light takes it on the reign of the darkness, so that the peace is maintained, so that the life wins the victory on the death.

The witnesses of the descent of the cross and the victory of the Life on the Death, are the bosses of Weapons. Under their protection, the military pursues the work of sake of the Christ. He defends the Life in all the details. He saves and builds the life of the city by love for his brothers.

In his will, the author expressed the deep desire that after the departure of the French people of Germany, this work is transferred in a military community in France.

Since 1968 the Triptych is a part of wealth of the heritage of the Air base 105.

The Christ on cross by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. (cliquez pour agrandir)

analysis of the picture.

This paint measures 7,4 by 3,5 meters.

The pigments used are specials and made in the original place of the picture, in Baden Baden (Bretagne). This had made on wood.

We deal with differents shapes and subjects.

Indeed we distinguish an oval black space with on his center the christ on the cross, and externally of this shape we found two worlds.

At the top these two parts, we deal with a Jerusalem representation:

On the left, the blue and the red are prevailling over, where are sitting "Mary and the child", representative of the birth in the darkness.

On the right, the gold and the white are prevailling over, and we can find there the Christ illuminated representative of the reborn and the rise of the Christ.

Then, the paint shows many Saint like Saint Christophe (at right with a foot in the water) who had hold Christ through a river and Christ offered him a stick that he brought at home and became a tree when he planted it.

Also, at the left of the paint, we can see a pair of compasses and set square which make a reference to the Franc maçon.