Si tous les gars du monde by Line Vautrin

“Si tous les gars du monde” by Line Vautrin, gilt bronze brooch representing a round of fourteen children dressed in long flowing garments.

The piece is inspired by La Ronde autour du monde (1897), a poem by the French poet Paul Fort (1872–1960), which evokes the ideal of universal fraternity. The poem famously begins:

“Si tous les gars du monde voulaient bien se donner la main,
Tout autour de la mer ils pourraient faire une ronde.”

Each child’s head bears a letter, which together form the title of the jewel, creating a delicate interplay between sculpture, poetry and symbolism.

Famous excerpt

If all the boys of the world were willing to join hands,
All around the sea they could form a great circle.
If all the boys of the world were willing to be sailors,
With their boats they would build a beautiful bridge across the waves.

Summary of the poem

In La Ronde autour du monde, Paul Fort imagines the peoples of the world joining hands to form a vast circle around the sea. The poem conveys the idea that, if humanity were willing to cooperate and share its strength and talents, it could symbolically build bridges between nations and live in a spirit of universal fraternity.

La Ronde autour du monde (1897) – Paul Fort