(b Geneva, 25 Dec 1823; d Crozant, 29 July 1892). Swiss painter and printmaker. He studied at the Collège and at the Académie in Geneva, showing a particular aptitude for drawing. After this he joined the studio of Alexandre Calame, then the most important painter in Geneva. In 1845 Calame took his pupils to Rome to paint the surrounding landscape, but Castan was not impressed with the area and never returned. In 1849 he moved to Paris, attracted by the flourishing school of landscape painting. Working in the Berry and Dauphiné regions, he produced a number of paintings influenced by Louis Français and Corot and began to exhibit at the Paris Salon. He afterwards exhibited regularly at the Salon and in Switzerland. Although initially the Alps had attracted him, Castan began to specialize in gentler landscapes: rivers, woods and other rustic scenes. The lake of Neuchâtel and the coastline of Brittany were favourite subjects. His landscapes were extremely popular, and this, coupled with the fact that his output was prolific, resulted in the production of works of a standardized appearance. In addition to painting, Castan worked as a lithographer and etcher. He contributed illustrations of landscapes to Esquisses d’atelier (Geneva, 1853) and to such journals as Album de la Suisse romane. He was frequently a juror for exhibitions in Switzerland and served on the committee of the Société des Peintres et Sculpteurs Suisses and of the Kunstverein Suisse. Castan was a cavalry officer, and his interest in armour led to his appointment as Deputy Curator of arms and armour at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva.

• Castan, Gustave (Eugène)
  • Cliché-verre, §2: History