Celso Lagar Arroyo was born in a small cathedral city
Ciudad Rodrigo. In his early days, he went to
Madrid to be part of the workshop of one of the best sculptors of the moment,
Miguel Blay. During 1910 and 1911 he visited
Barcelona. He later studied sculpture in Paris in 1911 on the advice of Blay. There he met
Joseph Bernard, his friend
Amedeo Modigliani and his future wife, the French sculptor, Hortense Begué. From then, he gradually abandoned sculpture in favor of painting. Lagar remained in
Barcelona during the
First World War, where he achieved a certain level of recognition. It allowed him to return to Paris, and 1919 he settled permanently in France. His works were exhibited in some of the notable Parisian galleries. After the period of avant-garde influences (
Cubism,
Fauvism, Vibrationism,
Orphism,
Divisionism,
Ultraist), Lagar chose his own path, influenced by Goya and Picasso. His works from this time received critical and public recognition. With the
Second World War, both Lagar and his wife Hortense became refugees in the French
Pyrenees, with difficult living conditions and severe financial hardship. Hortense was admitted to the Broca hospital and in 1955 she died. Lagar fell into a deep depression after her death and was admitted to the
Sainte Anne asylum: his artistic creativity succumbed. During this time, by court order, two auctions of the works which had been remaining in his workshop were held to pay for his care. In October 1964 he returned to
Seville, Spain, living with his sister until his death on September 6, 1966. ==Works ==