Action Enchained, Bronze statue in Puget-Théniers, France

Action Enchained is a bronze sculpture by Aristide Maillol, 2.15 m tall, showing a standing nude woman with her hands bound behind her back, one arm bent to her hip and her legs in a stride. The original stands on the place du Pré-de-Foire in Puget-Théniers, on a stone base as tall as the figure itself, which honours Auguste Blanqui. Its mottled green patina covers dark metal.

The statue was commissioned from Aristide Maillol by the Puget-Théniers section of the Human Rights League in homage to Auguste Blanqui, a native of the town. Maillol made it between 1905 and 1908, and it was erected in 1909 in front of the church. The location caused a scandal, and in 1922 the statue was replaced by a war memorial and moved to the Pré-de-Foire.

The figure's hands are bound behind her back, which is why the work is known as Action in Chains; the original commission was a monument to the revolutionary Auguste Blanqui, born in Puget-Théniers. The bronze now stands on the place du Pré-de-Foire, on a stone base as tall as the statue itself, which serves as the homage to Blanqui.

The memorial sits in an easy-to-access location at the village center, easily reached by people walking and exploring the surroundings. Visitors can view it anytime since it stands in the open air on public ground.

During World War II, villagers hid the bronze sculpture in a local slaughterhouse to protect it from seizure by Nazi forces. This rescue action shows how much the community valued the artwork even in dangerous times.