Louis Castex (December 2, 1868 - July 13, 1954) was a French sculptor.
Early life and education
Louis Castex was born on December 2, 1868, in Saumur. His parents were Dulcide Castex, a military intendant from Agen, and Hélène Gazanchon de Chavannes, from a land-owning family in the Monts du Lyonnais. In 1882, his elder brother died, and Louis Castex lost his left eye in an accident. He was introduced to wood sculpture and modeling by his mother.
In 1889, Louis Castex studied sculpture under Henri Maurette (1834-1898) at the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse. He won the second grand prize in the municipal competition with his high relief "Timoclée appearing before Alexander," which also earned him a scholarship to enter the École nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris the following year. He was a student of sculptors Jules Cavelier and Louis-Ernest Barrias and befriended Henri Bouchard and Paul Landowski.
Competitions and exhibitions
In 1897, Louis Castex won first prize in the Chenavard competition at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris with his high relief "The Vision of the Virgin." He also received a travel grant, allowing him to visit Italy and Spain. This work earned him a third-class medal at the 1898 Salon des Artistes Français and a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1900.
Castex participated in 28 annual editions of the Salon des Artistes Français throughout his career. In 1910, he won the second prize with his high relief "The Singers" or "Religious Music," which can be found in the cathedral Notre-Dame du Liban in Paris. He dedicated sixteen years to this sculpture, considered his masterpiece.
Selected Works (Non-Exhaustive List)
Specializing in religious sculpture, Louis Castex was particularly active in the Lyon region, where he participated, like many of his colleagues, in the construction of the eight lateral chapels of the nave of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière between 1899 and 1943. He executed the altarpiece of "The Annunciation" in 1922, initially entrusted to Jean-Baptiste Larrivé.
In collaboration with goldsmith Amédée Cateland, he created several works dedicated to the Curé of Ars for the Basilica of Saint Philomena in Ars-sur-Formans, Ain.