Victor Charreton (1864–1936) occupies a distinct place in the history of French art, not only for his richly textured and luminously colored landscapes but also for his contributions to institutions that shaped early 20th-century painting in France. Though often grouped with the Post-Impressionists, Charreton’s legacy is closely tied to his role in co-founding the influential Salon d’Automne.
Born in Bourgoin-Jallieu, Charreton trained in law and practiced at the Lyons Court of Appeal before leaving his legal career in 1902 to pursue painting full time. He moved to Paris that year, entering fully into the city’s active artistic community and beginning a career marked by careful observation and painterly experimentation.
His paintings, while reflective of Impressionist influences, often push further in their use of dense impasto and saturated color. In Village en Dauphiné, Charreton employs sunlit rooftops and deep shadows to suggest the heavy stillness of late afternoon. The paint is laid thick, lending both weight and vibrancy to the scene.
Victor Charreton (French, 1864-1936)
Village en Dauphine
Oil on canvas
23 x 28 in.; Framed: 32 x 37 in.
Signed to lower right, "Victor Charreton"
Charreton painted en plein air throughout France, in Auvergne, Brittany, Provence, as well as in parts of Europe and North Africa. His interest lay less in topographical accuracy than in capturing atmosphere. In Paysage à Saint Saturnin, for example, lavender and ochre fields shimmer under a pale sky, the heat of the day palpable in both color and texture.
Victor Charreton, Paysage de Provence / Paysage à Saint Saturnin, Oil on canvas, 23.6 x 28.75 in; Framed: 32 x 37 in, Signed to lower left, “Victor Charreton”
In 1903, Charreton co-founded the Salon d’Automne, alongside artists such as Pierre Bonnard. Intended as an alternative to the more conservative official salons, the Salon d’Automne soon became a central venue for the avant-garde. Matisse and the Fauves gained early recognition there, as did later movements including Cubism. Charreton’s role in its founding reflects his understanding of the importance of exhibition spaces for shaping the trajectory of art in his time.
His influence extended beyond Paris. He helped establish the École de Murol, a regional school of landscape painters, and later taught at the Académie Julian, where he mentored younger artists in the discipline of outdoor observation and the expressive potential of color.
Charreton’s sensitivity to season and light is evident again in Route de village ensoleillée, where a gently curving provincial street is dappled with sun and shade. The viewer is drawn into the composition not by dramatic subject matter but by the quiet pulse of place and time.
Victor Charreton (French, 1864-1936)
Route de village ensoleillée / Provincial Street Scene
Oil on canvas
21.25 x 25.6 in.; Frame: 29 x 33 in.
Signed to lower right, “Victor Charreton”
Charreton’s contributions were widely recognized in his lifetime. He received a silver medal at the Salon in 1913, was named Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur in 1914, and exhibited in New York, Tokyo, Geneva, and Barcelona. In 1931, the Musée de Bourgoin was renamed the Musée Victor Charreton.
Special Collection of Dr. Randal Williams
This group of Victor Charreton paintings comes from the esteemed collection of Dr. Randal Williams, a thoughtful and discerning collector with a connoisseur’s eye. Drawn to works of historical and artistic significance, Dr. Williams acquired his first Charreton in the 1970s, sparking a lifelong engagement with artists such as Le Sidaner, de Longpré, and others.