Charles Maurin
Maurin organised Toulouse-Lautrec's first solo exhibition, in 1893. He was a friend and mentor to Felix Vallotton, a close associate of Ambroise Vollard, and a regular exhibitor at Josephin Peladan's Salon de la Rose+Croix. Despite these connections to the centre of Post-Impressionist and Symbolist Paris, he remains almost unknown today, overshadowed by the artists he championed.
Biography
He was born in Le Puy-en-Velay in 1856. The Prix Crozatier funded his move to Paris, where he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Jules Lefebvre and at the Academie Julian, where he later taught. He exhibited at the Salon from 1883 and participated in the Rose+Croix exhibitions between 1892 and 1897.
His dual mastery of painting and printmaking made him a bridging figure between Symbolism and the 1890s revival of colour printmaking. His colour etchings and wood engravings from this period are technically accomplished and compositionally inventive. His painted work, particularly his Symbolist studies of maternity, combines academic draughtsmanship with the decorative flatness of the Nabis. He was among a handful of artists who understood both the chemical processes of printmaking and the aesthetic possibilities of colour on paper, and his technical innovations influenced the next generation of French printmakers. He died in 1914, at fifty-eight, on the eve of the war that would scatter the world he had helped build.
Timeline
- 1883Painted "Self-Portrait" aged 27.
- 1891Painted "Nude Woman combing her Hair" aged 35.
- 1892Painted "Portrait de François-Rupert Carabin" aged 36.
- 1895Painted "Mere et enfant" aged 39.
- 1899Painted "Jeune Femme Au Chat" aged 43.
Notable Works
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Charles Maurin prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Charles Maurin's body of work.
Related Artists
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See all Charles Maurin prints →Frequently Asked Questions
What is Charles Maurin known for?
Charles Maurin is known for his dual mastery of painting and printmaking, making him a bridging figure between Symbolism and the 1890s revival of colour printmaking. His colour etchings and wood engravings from this period are technically accomplished and compositionally inventive, and he was among a handful of artists who understood both the chemical processes of printmaking and the aesthetic possibilities of colour on paper.Who was Charles Maurin?
Charles Maurin was a French artist born in 1856. He organised Toulouse-Lautrec's first solo exhibition, was a friend and mentor to Felix Vallotton, a close associate of Ambroise Vollard, and a regular exhibitor at Josephin Peladan's Salon de la Rose+Croix.What was Charles Maurin's art style?
His painted work, particularly his Symbolist studies of maternity, combines academic draughtsmanship with the decorative flatness of the Nabis. One passage mentions that in 1925, Fry had finished translating an essay of Maurin on aesthetics, a study concerned with relations.When was Charles Maurin born?
Charles Maurin was born in 1856 in France. Charles Maurin died in 1914, aged 58.How did Charles Maurin die?
Charles Maurin died in 1914 at the age of 58.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Charles Maurin.
- [1] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [2] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
- [3] book Post-impressionism : cross-currents in European painting Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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