Louis Leygue

Louis Leygue (born 25 August 1905 in Bourg-en-Bresse) was a French sculptor and painter. As a sculptor he worked in the traditional stone but also pioneered the use of various metals. He was particularly adept in depicting horses.

Biography

Early studies were at the Lycée Charlemagne and in 1921 he was accepted as a student by the École Germain Pilon and studied under Robert Wlérick. In 1923 he was accepted by the Ếcole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and entered the studio of Jules Coutan at the École Nationale des Beaux Arts. Sickness then interrupted his studies for two years but in 1926 he was back with Coutan and then studied under François-Léon Sicard. In 1928 there was another interruption to his studies when he carried out his military service at Dijon and in 1928 he returned to the École des Beaux Arts and now studied under Paul Landowski.

In 1930 he tried for the Prix de Rome with his attempt at that year's set subject "Tireur à l’arc". The next year he competed again, now the set subject being "Le Héros et les Jeunes Filles"' and was the winner which guaranteed him three years studying at the Villa Medicis but sadly he was taken ill again. Recovered he set off for Rome but firstly married Marianne Cochet, also a student at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1936 once their time in Rome came to an end, the couple returned to Paris and moved into a studio in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. In 1938 he received the prestigious commission to take part in the decoration of the new French embassy being built in Ottawa. He returned to France from Canada just before the declaration of war. The war years were difficult for Leygue who got by teaching design. He was arrested by the Gestapo, imprisoned at Fresnes and sent to Germany before being transferred to a concentration camp. His health suffered badly and the experiences of this period were to leave an emotional scar.

The war over Leygue was offered and accepted the position of "Professeur Chef d’atelier de sculpture" at the Ếcole nouvelle des Beaux-Arts, and the Paris Berri gallery mounted his first exhibition of design drawings and small sculptures. A second exhibition concentrated on his studies of horses which he had spent time studying during the war years. In 1948 he created the striking monument in Nantua to the men, women and children deported by the Germans. Works in 1950 included his "Triptoleme" and in 1951 his works included "L’Enfant Martyr", the Thann war memorial, decoration of the "Salle des Traités" at the Quai d’Orsay and an equestrian statue of Rochambeau. 1954 saw Leygue made professor at the Ếcole Normale Supérieure d’Enseignement Technique and the government of Abidjan organized a tender to select the sculptor for two cariatides in wood for the "Cour d’Assises" which Leygue won. This took Leygue to West Africa and whilst there he was commissioned to execute decoration for Abidjan's town hall and the work "Jeune Afrique" for an Abidjan bridge.

During his working life, Leygue created many sculptures for schools and other educational establishments and many of these were commissioned under the so-called "1% scheme". Under this scheme and to encourage interest in and support for artists, 1% of the total funds allocated for new buildings particularly schools was put aside to commission and pay sculptors to create works.

1958 saw Leygue execute the works "Minotaure", "Cortège" and "Oiseau-Harpe". The next year saw his copper and bronze work " La Main de Prométhée" and "L’Arbre de la Science" for Saint Die and " Le Grand Cervidé" for Orléans