Eduard Charlemont

Biography of Eduard Charlemont ( 1848-1906 )

A genre and portrait painter, Eduard Charlemont was born into a family of artists; his father painted miniatures, his brother Hugo was also a painter and his brother Theodor a sculptor. Precocious, he showed his first work at the age of 15. He began studying under his father, and entered the Academy of Vienna under the direction of Eduard Engerth.

Around 1870 he worked in the studio of Hans Makart before continuing his education through study trips to Italy, Germany and Paris.

In the 1880s, he worked on the murals of Vienna’s Burgtheater with his brother Hugo, the Klimt brothers and several other artists. In 1888, he became an honorary member of the Vienna Academy.

He participated in many artistic events in Paris and 1878 won a prize of distinction at the Exposition Universelle. In this period his career as a painter was established and he won many honors, notably a medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1900.

In France, Eduard Charlemont was particularly known as a genre painter, inspired by German and Flemish painters of the 17th century.

In this artist’s studio, he has combined with virtuosity the art of the portrait with the still life. He portrays an artist in front of his easel who could be identified as Van de Velde or Vermeer.
Even more than Meissonnier, Charlemont’s technical mastery and immense knowledge of the 17th century Flemish make him one of the best painters of the European academic school. This masterpiece is a remarkable example.