Joseph-Hugues Fabisch was a French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 sculptor. He was professor at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and official sculptor to the diocese of Lyon.

Life

In 1840, he set himself up at Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...

, where he was professor at the town's university. He left the town for Lyon

Lyon

Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

 in 1845 where he became a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon

École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon

The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Lyon is a school of art and design in Lyon, located in Les Subsistances, in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon.-Directors:* 1960-1974 : Jean Coquet* 1974-1992 : Philippe Nahoum* 1992-1998 : Guy Issanjou...

, becoming its director in 1874 and teaching artists including Léon-Alexandre Delhomme

Léon-Alexandre Delhomme

Léon-Alexandre Delhomme was French sculptor. He is immortalised by a statue in the cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.-Life:...

. In 1852 he produced the Virgin on top of the chapel of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in his studio on the quays of the Saône. When his studio was flooded, the statue's unveiling was put back to 8 December, which has since then been celebrated as Lyon's fête des lumières

Fête des lumières

The Festival of Lights in Lyon, France expresses gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus on December 8 of each year. This uniquely Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets...

.

From 15 to 19 September 1863, he was in Lourdes

Lourdes

Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...

 to visit Bernadette Soubirous

Bernadette Soubirous

Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous was a miller's daughter born in Lourdes. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a small young lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at that site at Lourdes....

, who described to him the visions of the Virgin Mary. He then made a statue of the Virgin, commissioned by the Lacour sisters and under the control of Abbot Blanc, who above all wanted a statue faithful to the young woman's description. It was intended for the crypt of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Lourdes, and dedicated on 4 April 1864 in front of 20,000 people. This was the artist's masterwork, but caused a polemic

Polemic

A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...

 on its relevance to the young peasant girl's visions.

Works

• 1852 : Golden virgin consecrated on 8 December 1852 (see Fête des lumières
  Fête des lumières
  The Festival of Lights in Lyon, France expresses gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus on December 8 of each year. This uniquely Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets...
  
  ) on top of the chapel of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon 5th arrondissement.
• 1852 : apsidal altar of Saint Benedict, Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay, Lyon 2nd arrondissement.
• 1855 : Virgin and Child, on the corner of Maison Blanchon by the architect Pierre Bossan
  Pierre Bossan
  Pierre-Marie Bossan was a French historicist architect, a pupil of Henri Labrouste, specialising in ecclesiastical architecture. In 1844 he was appointed architect to the diocese of Lyon, where his major work was the neo-Byzantine basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière , on a height dominating Lyon...
  
  , at the corner of Quai Fulchiron and Place Benoît-Crépu
  Place Benoît-Crépu
  The Place Benoît-Crépu is a stone-paved square, located in Saint-Georges quarter, on the banks of the Saône , in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. It has fountains with dolphin heads, many benches and trees and a playground. The place belongs to the area classified as World Heritage Site by...
  
  , Lyon 5th arrondissement
• 1855 : Beatrix, white marble, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Lyon 1st arrondissement
• 1860 : tympanum
  Tympanum (architecture)
  In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
  
   of the porch of the Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay, Lyon 2nd arrondissement.
• 1864 : Virgin and Child, Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Lourdes. Carrara marble, 1.83m high.
• 1866 : Saint Catherine of Alexandria, place des Terreaux, corner of rue d’Algérie and rue Sainte Marie des Terreaux, Lyon 1st arrondissement. J. H. Fabisch also designed the building's pediment, one of whose corners the statue occupies

Undated :

• Saint Peter, place des Terraux, corner of rue Constantine, rue Paul Chenavard, Lyon 1st arrondissement
• Saint Joseph, chapel of Saint Joseph, Basilica of Saint-Martin d'Ainay, Lyon 2nd arrondissement.

Source