Skip to main content
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21

Charles Joshua Chaplin
Pair 19th Century French Whimsical Oil on Canvas "Cherubs and Putti Children"

Circa: Paris, 1880

$44,950
£34,448.74
€39,592.77
CA$63,134.49
A$70,659.13
CHF 36,987.53
MX$858,380.39
NOK 469,647.68
SEK 443,192.80
DKK 295,431.70

About the Item

Charles Joshua Chaplin (French, 1825-1891) A Very Fine and Charming Pair of 19th Century French Whimsical Oils on Canvas of Cherubs and Putti, after François Boucher (French, 1703–1770), "The Target of Love." These enchanting works, within a silver-leaf wooden frame, depict the mythological realm of delicate sensuality, love, and indolence, with cherubs and putti playfully hovering among the clouds. One figure crowns a cupid, another reads, one holds a torch, and another gently restrains the clouds, capturing the ethereal and romantic qualities of Boucher’s iconic style. Each signed "Ch. Chaplin". The back of the canvas' stamped "Maison VALLE HOFER FRÈRES PARIS". Circa: Paris, 1880. Provenance: A Distinguished Private Collection, Christie's, New York, July 28-29, 2015, Lot 223 Each measures: Canvas Height: 18 1/4 inches (46.4 cm) Canvas Width: 44 3/4 inches (113.7 cm) Frame Height: 21 3/8 inches (54.3 cm) Frame Width: 47 3/4 inches (121.3 cm) Charles Joshua Chaplin (8 June 1825 – 30 January 1891) was a French painter and printmaker who painted both landscapes and portraits. He worked in techniques such as pastels, lithography, watercolor, chalk, oil painting and etching. He was best known for his elegant portraits of young women. Chaplin was born on 8 June 1825 in Les Andelys, Eure, France. His mother, Olympia Adelle Moisy, was French, whereas his father, John Chaplin, was an art broker from England. Charles Chaplin spent his whole life in France, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1886. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1840, and he took private lessons in the studio of Michel Martin Drolling, whose apprentices included Paul Baudry, Jules Breton and Jean-Jacques Henner. Later he also taught at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1845, he entered the Paris Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, as a portrait and landscape painter with the painting Portrait of the Artist's Mother. Chaplin conducted art classes specifically for women at his studio, including Marie Joséphine Nicolas. The American artist Mary Cassatt, the French artist Louise Abbéma and the English artist Louise Jopling were among Chaplin's students. His son Arthur Chaplin was also a painter. Early Work: Chaplin made his debut at the Salon with portraits, but he also painted landscapes, particularly the countryside of Auvergne. His early works, from 1848 to 1851, were painted in a manner characterized by an interest in realism, a style established in the French Second Republic, that had the motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and was ruled for three years by the republican government of France from the 1848 Revolution until the 1851 coup by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. Realism was an artistic movement that began in France in the 1850s, after the 1848 Revolution. From the late 18th century Romanticism dominated French art and literature but was spurned by Realists, who revolted against the display of the emotions of the Romantic movement, seeking to depict real and characteristic contemporary individuals and situations with truth and accuracy. Chaplin painted many works in his early days, including floral studies that were displayed at the Salon de las Flores. Later, in the late 1850s, he abandoned naturalism, his earlier style, exchanging it for a more graceful, elegant and supple technique that brought him a certain notoriety in France during his time as a portrait painter; as such he embraced the idyllic and voluptuous and fashionable style of the prominent French painter, François Boucher (1703–1770). He also embraced the tradition of the great English portraitists and developed his very own style of painting but was inspired by the British painters Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. He used to engrave the works of the Dutch artist Pieter Paul Rubens and gained further influence from his work. Later Work: Gradually the muddy colours used by Chaplin transformed into white, grey and pink, depicting his models with an opalescent, mother-of-pearl complexion by applying a subtle palette of rosy flesh tones and light greys. After painting portraits and trying his skills on ornamental painting, Chaplin took up genre painting in the 1850s. His favourite subjects are the feminine grace of a young woman's everyday life. He portrays women in several poses: resting; grooming; singing; and reading. He captures them with lightness and carelessness and accentuates the decorative elements of the composition. Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III and an admirer of the "Pompadour style", rapidly fell under the enchantment of the painter's neo-Rococo works. Chaplin was among Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie's favourite court artists. In 1859, when his portrait of Aurora was banned by the judges of the Salon as "too erotically suggestive", Napoléon III defended Chaplin and overturned the disqualification order. He was similarly valued as an interior decorator and was appointed to remodel the decor of Empress Eugénie's rooms. His sensual portraits of women and young girls, often with models posed erotically in hazy surroundings and frequently wearing transparent clothing, attracted the interest of the high society and aristocracy of Paris during the French Third Republic (1870–1940) guaranteeing his success and wealth. He was one of the most popular painters of his time, but nowadays his work is almost unknown, in spite of the fact that his works hang in many major museums around the world. He employed his Rococo style for his mythological scenes and genre scenes paintings. His genre pictures formed a significant part of his work. In 1861, working as a decorative painter. Chaplin painted the doors and several glass panels above them of the Salon des Fleurs in the Tuileries Palace. The Palace was gutted by fire in 1871 and its ruins swiftly demolished.[9] He also undertook decorating work in the Salon de l’Hémicycle of the Palais de l’Elysée. Honours and Awards: As a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, Chaplin exhibited his paintings at the Paris Salon, the official exhibition venue of members' work. He began exhibiting his paintings at the French Artists' Salon in 1845 and was represented there habitually each year. These exhibitions made him one of France's most famous portrait artists. Commencing in 1847, his work was exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy in London. During his lifetime, he received acclamation for his artistic talents by the award of several medals: a third class medal in 1851; a second class medal the following year; and an Honour Medal in 1865. He was declared Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1879, also known as The National Order of the Legion of Honour. Chaplin was elevated to Officier in 1881. Chaplin's artistic talent was admired by renowned writers, painters and critics such as Arsène Houssaye, Émile Zola and Théophile Gautier. Édouard Manet felt Chaplin knew "the smile of a woman". It was his portraits of young women that gained him particular success. Museums: Chaplin's works can be viewed in the French museums of Bordeaux, Bayonne, Bourges, Mulhouse, Paris, Reims, Rouen, Saintes (Charente-Maritime), and the Louvre Museum Graphic Art Database. Outside France his works can be found in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museums in Massachusetts and the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana. Chaplin has several paintings in a public collection in the United Kingdom at the Bowes Museum. One of Chaplin's paintings was sold at an auction in Paris on 5 June 1922. Described by the auctioneer as a landscape painting by Charles Chaplin, it achieved an unexpectedly high price for an artist considered to have "fallen into oblivion". Most of the bidders mistakenly believed it was a work of art by the comedian and actor Charlie Chaplin and thought they would acquire a remarkable find. The New York Times reported it stating: "The disappointment of the ultimate buyer may be imagined when it was discovered that the picture was by an almost forgotten artist. Chaplin died on 30 January 1891, aged 65, in Paris as a wealthy man and is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    Circa: Paris, 1880
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 44 in (111.76 cm)Width: 47.75 in (121.29 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    A truly beautiful pair of paintings of children, cupids and cherubs with vibrant pastel colors. Overall original condition is good, minor touch-ups. The head of the putti on right side has a slight cut-restoration. Please view all images and video.
  • Gallery Location:
    LA, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: Ref.: A28311stDibs: LU2755215478022

More From This Seller

View All
Charming 19th Century Oil on Canvas Triptych of Cherubs 'An Allegory to Spring'
Located in LA, CA
Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) A very fine and charming triptych group of three oil on canvas laid on board titled "An Allegory to Spring" each panel depicting different pla...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Hans Zatzka, Austrian Oil on Canvas Titled "Spring Love" Maiden with Cherubs
By Hans Zatzka
Located in LA, CA
Hans Zatzka (Austrian, 1859-1945) a superb quality oil on canvas titled "Spring Love" depicting a standing young maiden holding a wicker basket filled with fresh flower as she is bei...
Category

19th Century Romantic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Fine French 19th Century Oil on Canvas 'A Young Girl Holding a Bird's Nest'
By Charles Joshua Chaplin
Located in LA, CA
Charles Joshua Chaplin (French, 1825-1891) 'The Bird's Nest' A very fine and charming Rococo revival style oil on canvas depicting a young girl, dressed in 18th century costume and resting by a river bank, holding a bird's nest and one of the tiny eggs. Her bonnet resting to her side and a wicker basket full of hand-picked flowers by her feet; within a later giltwood carved frame. Signed: ChChaplin (lower left). Circa: 1870-1880. Canvas Height: 31 1/2 inches (80 cm) Canvas Width: 17 15/16 inches (45.5 cm) Frame Height: 38 5/8 inches (98 cm) Frame Width: 24 3/4 inches (63 cm) Frame Depth: 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) Charles Joshua Chaplin (8 June 1825 – 30 January 1891) was a French painter and printmaker who painted both landscapes and portraits. He worked in techniques such as pastels, lithography, watercolor, chalk, oil painting and etching. He was best known for his elegant portraits of young women. Chaplin was born on 8 June 1825 in Les Andelys, Eure, France. His mother, Olympia Adelle Moisy, was French, whereas his father, John Chaplin, was an art broker from England. Charles Chaplin spent his whole life in France, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1886. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1840, and he took private lessons in the studio of Michel Martin Drolling, whose apprentices included Paul Baudry, Jules Breton and Jean-Jacques Henner. Later he also taught at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1845, he entered the Paris Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, as a portrait and landscape painter with the painting Portrait of the Artist's Mother. Chaplin conducted art classes specifically for women at his studio, including Marie Joséphine Nicolas. The American artist Mary Cassatt, the French artist Louise Abbéma and the English artist Louise Jopling were among Chaplin's students. His son Arthur Chaplin was also a painter. Early Work: Chaplin made his debut at the Salon with portraits, but he also painted landscapes, particularly the countryside of Auvergne. His early works, from 1848 to 1851, were painted in a manner characterized by an interest in realism, a style established in the French Second Republic, that had the motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and was ruled for three years by the republican government of France from the 1848 Revolution until the 1851 coup by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. Realism was an artistic movement that began in France in the 1850s, after the 1848 Revolution. From the late 18th century Romanticism dominated French art and literature but was spurned by Realists, who revolted against the display of the emotions of the Romantic movement, seeking to depict real and characteristic contemporary individuals and situations with truth and accuracy. Chaplin painted many works in his early days, including floral studies that were displayed at the Salon de las Flores. Later, in the late 1850s, he abandoned naturalism, his earlier style, exchanging it for a more graceful, elegant and supple technique that brought him a certain notoriety in France during his time as a portrait painter; as such he embraced the idyllic and voluptuous and fashionable style of the prominent French painter, François Boucher (1703–1770). He also embraced the tradition of the great English portraitists and developed his very own style of painting but was inspired by the British painters Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. He used to engrave the works of the Dutch artist Pieter Paul Rubens and gained further influence from his work. Later Work: Gradually the muddy colours used by Chaplin transformed into white, grey and pink, depicting his models with an opalescent, mother-of-pearl complexion by applying a subtle palette of rosy flesh tones and light greys. After painting portraits and trying his skills on ornamental painting, Chaplin took up genre painting in the 1850s. His favourite subjects are the feminine grace of a young woman's everyday life. He portrays women in several poses: resting; grooming; singing; and reading. He captures them with lightness and carelessness and accentuates the decorative elements of the composition. Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III and an admirer of the "Pompadour style", rapidly fell under the enchantment of the painter's neo-Rococo works. Chaplin was among Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie's favourite court artists. In 1859, when his portrait of Aurora was banned by the judges of the Salon as "too erotically suggestive", Napoléon III defended Chaplin and overturned the disqualification order. He was similarly valued as an interior decorator and was appointed to remodel the decor of Empress Eugénie's rooms. His sensual portraits of women and young girls, often with models posed erotically in hazy surroundings and frequently wearing transparent clothing, attracted the interest of the high society and aristocracy of Paris during the French Third Republic (1870–1940) guaranteeing his success and wealth. He was one of the most popular painters of his time, but nowadays his work is almost unknown, in spite of the fact that his works hang in many major museums around the world. He employed his Rococo style for his mythological scenes and genre scenes paintings. His genre pictures formed a significant part of his work. In 1861, working as a decorative painter. Chaplin painted the doors and several glass panels above them of the Salon des Fleurs in the Tuileries Palace. The Palace was gutted by fire in 1871 and its ruins swiftly demolished.[9] He also undertook decorating work in the Salon de l’Hémicycle of the Palais de l’Elysée. Honours and awards: As a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, Chaplin exhibited his paintings at the Paris Salon, the official exhibition venue of members' work. He began exhibiting his paintings at the French Artists' Salon in 1845 and was represented there habitually each year. These exhibitions made him one of France's most famous portrait artists. Commencing in 1847, his work was exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy in London. During his lifetime, he received acclamation for his artistic talents by the award of several medals: a third class medal in 1851; a second class medal the following year; and an Honour Medal...
Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Fine and Charming 19th Century Victorian Oil on Canvas "Mother and Child"
Located in LA, CA
Attributed to Charles Edward Hallé (British, 1846-1914) "Mother and Child" oil on canvas. The Victorian era artwork depicting a young mother holding her joyful infant child, within a...
Category

Late 19th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Fine and Charming 19th Century Oil Canvas "Children Walking the Baby Goat"
Located in LA, CA
Henry Joseph Campotosto (Belgium, 1833-1910) A Very Fine Oil on Canvas "Walking the Baby Goat", depicting two young dutch girls by the grassy shore of a river bank, one standing holding a wicker basket and a leash to a resting baby goat, the youngest sitting next to her on a pile of branches tucking her pants, a pair of ducks and ducklings swimming by the tree lined river; within a later giltwood carved frame. Signed (l/r): Campotosto Henry. Circa: Brussels, 1870. Note: The artist is also known as Henri Campotosto Henry or Henri Campotosto was born in Brussels in 1833. He studied in Brussels at the Royal Academy des Beaux-Arts and painted some artworks with Eugène Verboeckhoven (Belgium, 1798-1881). He received a 1st Class Medal at the Academy of Brussels and an honorable mention at the Paris Exhibition of 1860. In 1871 he moved to London with his family and remained there for life. He exhibited his work at the Royal Academy Exhibition until 1874 and at the Suffolk Street Gallery from 1878. In 1880 he took part in the Berlin Academy Exhibition. His daughter Octavia also became a painter, visited Italy, and showed her paintings at the Royal Academy from 1871 to 1874. Henri Campotosto died in London in 1910. High Sales: Christie's New York - Property from an American Collection, "The Bird's Nest" - Lot 247 on October 22, 2008, Sold for $37,500 Bonhams London - 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art on 28 September 2016 - Lot 33 "Gathering flowers" Sold for £25,000 ($33,750 USD) Museums: The British Museum - Print of two girls and a lamb and print of two girls by a river bank Literature • E. Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs by Librairie Gründ - 1976 Edition - Volume 2, Page 488. • Maurice W...
Category

19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Fine French 19th Century Oil on Board "A Standing Beauty with Spring Roses"
Located in LA, CA
A very fine French 19th century oil on board titled "A Standing Beauty with Spring Roses" by Charles Baptiste Schreiber (French, 1845-1903)...
Category

Late 19th Century Academic Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

You May Also Like

19th Century genre oil painting of cherubs with flowers
By Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens British, (1829-1915) Cherubs with Flower Garlands Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 19.5 inches x 29.25 inches Size including frame: 25.5 inches x 35.25 inches A beautiful painting of three cherubs or putti with flower garlands by Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens. The winged infants are shown holding rose blooms as they rest on a cloud. Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens was born in 1829 the son of Charles Lutyens, who was the Deputy Commissary General of the Forces and Frances Jane Fludger. With his family connection to the military it was no surprise that he joined the army in 1848 as Ensign, serving in the 20th Foot Regiment in Montreal, Canada. Whilst there, he met Mary Teresa Gallwey, daughter of Major Gallwey of Ireland and sister of Thomas Gallwey, the Governor of Montreal. They married on 28 November, 1852 and the couple went on to have 14 children in total. He returned to England having been promoted to Captain and lived in Hampshire where was appointed Instructor of Musketry to the regiment. He retired from the army in 1855, moving to London in the same year where he lived at 4 Allen Terrace, Kensington. He began pursuing an artistic career and most likely took art and sculpture lessons as well as studying animal anatomy. He made his debut at the British Institution from 1860 and by 1861 was living at 6 Palace Garden Terraces in Kensington. In 1862, he began exhibiting at the Royal Academy, where he continued to exhibit regularly until 1903. He initially painted portraits but then developed his subjects to include animals, usually horses and hunting scenes. Many of the people in his paintings were notable horse owners such as King Edward and the Duke of Westminster as well as military figures. He is known to have sculpted clay models of animals which he used during his creative process. He also produced a number of scenes with cherubs which he became well known for. By 1865, he had moved to 16 Onslow Square...
Category

19th Century Victorian Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cherubs Musicians in pair
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Mathilde LEHAUT (1816- nc) Cherubs Musicians in oval pair Two Oils on wood signed low Framed by Gault (Paris) - Gold leaves Dim wood panel (each) : 27 ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Academic Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

CHERUBS - In the Manner of Rubens - Italian Oil on copper painting
By Ettore Frattini
Located in Napoli, IT
Cherubs - Ettore Frattini Italia 2006 - Oil on copper cm.30x50. This delightful oil on copper in Baroque style depicts dancing cherubs, most likely inspired by the allegories with c...
Category

Early 2000s Flemish School Portrait Paintings

Materials

Copper

`19thC French/ Italian School Oil, Cherubs Playing in Landscape, Wild Flowers
By Continental School
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Continental School (19th Century) Title: Cherubs In Garden Setting Medium: oil on canvas, framed in beautiful gilt frame. Frame...
Category

19th Century Victorian Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique French Pair of large Oils on Canvas Painting of Cherubs 18eme Century
By François Boucher
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This is an Pair of oil Paintings in the Style of François Boucher. This is a charming 18th century Pair of oil on canvas painting depicting cherubs . The cherubs are draped. This...
Category

Antique 18th Century French Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paper

Two Putti's in Flight Attributed to Francois Boucher
By François Boucher
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Two Putti's in Flight Attributed to Francois Boucher (Paris 1703-1770), Black chalk and stamping, with red and white chalk on buff paper. Bears signature in pen and brown ink: F.Bouc...
Category

Antique Mid-18th Century German Neoclassical Drawings

Materials

Paper