The tribute paid to this Nice-born hero of the Second World War is unanimous considering a journey that deserves deep respect and our remembrance.
However, alongside this ceremony in honor of General Louis DELFINO, the residents of the eponymous boulevard still ask the same question: Where is the bronze bust of General Louis DELFINO?
Let’s recall that this sculpture (now possibly gone forever?) was the work of Marcel MAYER, an artist known in Nice for the “Stele of the Marshals of France” in the Alsace-Lorraine garden, the bust of Jean MEDECIN at the beginning of the Promenade des Anglais, and the one of Louis ARMSTRONG in the Arenas of Cimiez garden.
Another work by Marcel MAYER, the bust of General DELFINO, was thus placed in the Normandie-Niemen garden.
Unfortunately, since the renovation works of this space in… 2006… this sculpture has been untraceable and has never been reinstalled. Today, no one apparently knows if this bust, stolen (or misplaced), adorns a private collection or has been melted down by metal traffickers.
Today, alongside these commemorations, we have the opportunity to also pay tribute to this sculptor, a true maverick who proclaimed his independence from schools and movements. Marcel MAYER described himself as a “classic-modern,” a subtle blend of the rigor of classical masters and the creativity of the moderns.
Today, it is possible to recreate the bust that Marcel MAYER made of General DELFINO. It appears that his family possesses the mold necessary for this reconstruction.
by Hervé Caël
