Le Badaud, Bronze sculpture in the old town of Sarlat-la-Canéda, France
Le Badaud is a bronze sculpture by Gérard Auliac, set on a low wall in a narrow lane in the old town of Sarlat-la-Canéda, looking out over the Place de la Liberté and the church of Sainte-Marie. The figure shows an elderly man in plain clothing with a faint smile, appearing to watch the scene below.
The sculpture was put in place in January 2002, when Gérard Auliac, a sculptor who lived in Vitrac near Sarlat, offered it to the city. Auliac, who drew on medieval themes and worked in bronze, boxwood, and walnut, died in 2009, leaving behind work that had been shown in several countries.
The word "badaud" is an old French term for someone who wanders and watches what is happening around them. The figure fits this role perfectly, sitting on a wall and watching the activity below on the square.
The sculpture is in a lane close to the Place de la Liberté in the heart of the old town, and is easy to reach on foot while walking through the center. The figure sits on a raised wall, so it is clearly visible even in a narrow street.
During local festivals, the figure has sometimes been decorated with a red clown nose or hit with flour and eggs, much like the people taking part in the celebrations below. This shows how fully the town has adopted it as part of everyday life rather than treating it as a formal work of art.
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