Meta-Impressionism: Art-collectors

Georges Charpentier

(1846-1901)

a benefactor of Renoir and others

 

Introduction:
This page renders short information on Georges Charpentier and his wife, and their art-collection and the auction sale of their collection.
The emphasize is on the works of the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions.
Charpentier supported the ‘impressionists’, and namely Auguste Renoir, in several ways. By rendering commissions, buying their art-works and by showing their works at ‘La Vie Moderne‘.
Note: This page needs further development.

 

Short biography:
Georges Charpentier (1846*-1901) and his wife were supporters of the Impressionists (R5,p220). In 1871 he inherited the publishing house of his father, who had published books of Victor Hugo, Balzac and others (R30,p7). He published works of Daudet, Flaubert, Maupassant and Zola (R3,p220). 1879/04/10 Charpentier started publishing the illustrated journal ‘La Vie Moderne‘, where also exhibitions were held (R3;R5,p112).
His wife Marguerite Lemonnier (1848-1904) played an important role in cultural Paris. Since 1875 their house at the Place Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois was a meeting point of naturalist writers, impressionist painters en socialist politicians, it was a literary and political salon (R3,p220;R31,no.44;R5,p110).
Note*: Some sources mention that he was born in 1849.

Charpentier, benefactor of Renoir:
In 1875 Charpentier met Renoir, bought for the first time (3) paintings of him (at the Drouot auction) and became befriended (R3,p220). In 1878  Charpentier pushed Renoir to submit to the Salon (R2,p245).
Renoir depicted Mme Marguerite Charpentier at least 3 times between 1876 and 1878 (see also 3IE-1877-187), one time with her children Georgette and Paul↓ (R30,no269+321;R31;R5,p110).
Note: Earlier Renoir had painted in 1869 Marie-Pauline Charpentier and in 1870 Marie Charpentier (R30,no39+57). It is unclear to me if they were related to Georges Charpentier.

 

Lender to the ‘impressionist’ expositions:
Georges Charpentier did loan 9 paintings to the ‘impressionist’ expositions.
In 1877  he lent 1 painting of Monet (no106=CR?), 1 of Pissarro (no.172), 2 of Renoir (no.187+188) and 3 of Sisley (no.217+218+221).
In 1879 he lent 1 painting of Pissarro (no.199) and in 1882 one of Monet (no.58=CR568).
In 1879 his wife lent a work of Forain (no.98) (R2;R90II,p287).

 

Collection of Georges Charpentier and his wife:
At the 1875/03/24 auction at Hôtel Drouot Charpentier bought 3 works of Auguste Renoir.
He also bought other works of Sisley (R5,p20).
Charpentier and his wife once owned CR264 +316 +354 +427 +568. The first 4 were bought 1876/05 (or 1877/01) (R22IV,p1046).
1879/04/20 Charpentier bought 6 works of Sisley for 400 franc.
1907/04/11 there was a posthumous sale ‘de feu M. Georges Charpentier’ at Hôtel Drouot.

 

Sources:
catalogue sale: iR40//bpt6k12482428;
The following Catalogues Raisonnés (or extended catalogues):
of Cézanne by Pissarro & Venturi (1936 =PV=R189); by Rewald, Feilchenfeldt & Warman (1996; =RFW=R118); Feilchenfeldt, Warman & Nash (online: cezannecatalogue; =FWN=iR194)
Guillaumin by Serret & Fabiani (1971 =CR=SF=R124);
of Monet by Wildenstein (1996 =CR=R22=R127; R22IV,p1046)
of Morisot by Bataille (1960 =1CR=R100); Clairet, Rouart & Montlant (1997 =2CR=CRM=R186)
of Pissarro by Venturi (1939 =V=R126); by Pissarro and Durand-Ruel (2005 =CCP =R116)
of Renoir by Daulte (1971 =1CR=R108); by Fezzi (1968 =1F=R193=R30); by Fezzi (1985 =2F=R190); by Dauberville (2007-14 =2CR=2D=R185)
of Sisley by Daulte (1959 =CR=R129); by Brame & Lorenceau (2021 =CCPP=R396)
Other important sources: R31; R30; R88I,p130/1; iR3; iR4; iR6; iR6 (portraits).

 

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism, art-collectors: Georges Charpentier, benefactor of Renoir. Last modified 2026/06/17. https://www.impressionism.nl/georges-charpentier/”

 

Note: additional info and pictures will be added.