Raymond Couvègnes
Raymond Couvègnes (; 1893–1985) was a French sculptor and medallist. Biography Raymond Couvègnes was born in Ermont on 27 February 1893 and died in Paris on 15 December 1985. His father was Emile Couvègnes, a director of the "Compagnie des chemin de fer du Nord" and a military historian. He showed an early talent for design and attended the École d'arts appliqués Bernard Palissy before enrolling at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He studied under Injalbert and in 1927 won the Prix de Rome for sculpture. His early works involved sculptural work which arose in the reconstruction of churches and town halls in Northern France where so much damaged had been sustained in the 1914–1918 war. Examples of such work involved Montdidier town hall and churches in Roye, Arvillers, Moreuil, Le Bosquel and Athies. For the most part he worked using moulded concrete (béton moulé). In his next phase his works were executed in limestone or stone including in Paris a bust of Pierre Curie for the Palais de la Découverte, the statue of Claude Bernard in front of the collège de France and of Queen Astrid for Paris' Cité universitaire and the work "La Femme au bain" in the Parc de la Butte du Chapeau Rouge. Outside of Paris, Couvègnes worked on a bust and bas-relief of Raymond Poincaré in Bar-le-Duc, a bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Cesnay, a memorial to the efforts of the French resistance in Neuvic and in Amboise a monument dedicated to the liberators of France. To this we can add a striking decoration to Lille's "La voix du Nord" building, decoration to the old chamber of commerce in Poitiers and to the Boulogne-Billancourt Hôtel de Ville and outside France he created a bust of Mauritius' pioneer in cane sugar and a "Chemin de Croix" (Stations of the Cross) for a convent in Alexandria. He created escutcheons for factories in the Rhin and for educational establishments in Ermont, Boulogne, Franconville, Poitiers, St-Cyr, Coëtquidam and Sannois. Also between 1956 and 1973 he worked for EDF on sculptural decoration for their nuclear and hydroelectric power stations. He set up the École des Beaux-Arts de Boulogne-Billancourt where he lived and taught there for many years. Works Early works "Le Rémouleur" In 1920 Couvègnes submitted a design drawing for that year's Prix Bridan run by the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts and they hold a copy in their records. It appears he was awarded the second prize. This is perhaps the earliest insight into Couvègnes abilities. "Faune Borghèse" This design drawing by Couvègnes dates to 1921 and was his submission for that year's Prix Bridan. "La jeunesse et les Parques" With this composition Couvègnes won the 1925 Prix Doublemard. "Décision" This was Couvègnes' submission for the 1926 competition "Tête d'expression" organised each year by the Beaux-arts de Paris. "L'invention de la corne d'abondance" This bas-relief in plaster won Couvègnes the 1927 Prix de Rome for sculpture. It is held in the collection of the Ếcole Nationale Supérieure des