Charles Marie Louis Joseph Sarrabezolles

Who was Charles Marie Louis Joseph Sarrabezolles?

Charles Marie Louis Joseph Sarrabezolles, also known as Carlo Sarrabezolles, was a French sculptor.

Sarrabezolles was born in Toulouse, studied at that city's École des Beaux-Arts, then from 1907–1914 at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, where he settled for good. In 1914 he was runner-up in Prix de Rome competition. From 1914-1918, during World War I, he was held prisoner in Germany; in 1920 he married Nicole Cervi, with whom he had three children. In 1923 they moved into a studio at 16 rue des Volontaires where he remained until his death. A square there, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, bears his name.

His best-known work is probably The Soul of France, which he executed in three different materials: the first in plaster in 1921, the second in stone in 1922, and the last in bronze in 1930. In 1926 the sculptor developed a method of direct carving in setting concrete, and much of his subsequent work was integrated with architecture, particularly in collaboration with architect Paul Tournon, and in monumental scale.

Sarrabezolles was a member or president of artistic associations including Art Monumental, the Salon des Artistes Français, and the Foundation Taylor.