The sculpted rocks of Rothéneuf were the monumental statues carved by a priest called Father Adolphe Julien Fouéré between 1894 and 1907 in Brittany. Upon retiring in 1894, Abbot Fouré settled in Rothéneuf, a district of Saint-Malo in France. Having become deaf and mute due to a stroke, he found his new way of expression on the granite coast of Rothéneuf.
The Abbot began carving statues directly on the coast and spent nearly 14 years, creating over 300 statues covering around 500 square meters. The priest had to quit sculpting in 1907 because of paralysis, and he eventually passed away in 1910. Today, the sculpted rocks of Rothéneuf are considered one of the best examples of Art Brut in Brittany.
While sculpting these characters, Abbot Fouré took inspiration from his knowledge of history and geography. For instance, he was interested in the recent events in the colonies. Accordingly, the sculptures include the depiction of the Transvaal War (between South Africa and Britain) or President Krüger who governed South Africa in the late 20th century. There are also figures from the legend of the Rothéneuf, a family of shipwreckers from Saint-Malo. Besides the granite sculptures, the priest created numerous wooden sculptures in his house in the village of Hermitage de Rothéneuf.
