Charles Gleyre Biography | Oil Painting Reproductions

Charles Gleyre started his formal art education in Lyon under Bonnefond, before moving to Paris, where he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Art under Louis Hersent, also attending the Academie Suisse there and studying watercolor techniques in the studio of Richard Parkes Bonington. He then went to Italy, where he became acquainted with Horace Vernet and Louis Léopold Robert.

It was through Vernet's suggestion that Charles Gleyre was picked by the American traveler John Lowell Jr. to go with him on his journeys around the eastern Mediterranean, recording the scenes and ethnic people they met with. They left Italy in spring 1834 and visited Greece, Turkey, and Egypt, where they remained together until the end of 1835 when Lowell left for India. Charles Gleyre proceeded with his travels alone around Egypt and Syria, not returning to France until 1838. He returned to Lyons in poor health, having been attacked with pink eye disease of the eye in Cairo, and by a fever in Lebanon.

Once recovered, he proceeded to Paris, and, establishing a modest studio and began to work out the ideas which had been shaping in his mind during his travels. The artwork by which he for all intents and purposes opened his career was the Apocalyptic Vision of St John, exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1840.

Regardless of the achievement of these first ventures, Charles Gleyre retired from public competition, and spent the rest of his life in quiet devotion to his artistic ideals, neither looking for the simple praise of the people or critics or to transform his art for glorification and riches.

Charles Gleyre took over the studio of Paul Delaroche in 1843 and taught many of younger artists who became prominent included Jean-Léon Gérôme, Jean-Louis Hamon, Auguste Toulmouche, James Abbott McNeill Whistler and several of the Impressionists, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Jean Frédéric Bazille. He did not charge his students a fee, but he expected them to contribute something towards the rent and the fee for the live models.

Art Movement: Neoclassicism.
Artists Influencing Charles Gleyre: Paul Delaroche.
He Traveled To France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon.
Painters Charles Gleyre Influenced: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, James Whistler, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Jean-Louis Hamon, Auguste Toulmouche, Bazille.
Artist's Biography compiled by Albert L. Mansour at The World's Artist, with text adapted from Wikipedia.