The directory «Artists»

Landelle Charles Zacharie
(1821—1908)

Charles Landelle was born in Laval (Mayenne) on June 2, 1821 and died in Chennevières-sur-Marne on October 13, 1908. His body was placed in the family tomb located in the Montmartre cemetery just below the Sacre Coeur.

Landelle is considered an important orientalist, genre, portrait and historical painter from the French school. He began his formal art studies in 1837 at the l’Ecole Royale des Beaux-Arts with Paul Hippolyte Delaroche (1797-1856), who was a follower of Alexander Bida (1813-1895), Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) and Jean Francçois Millet (1814-1875), and with historical painter Ary Scheffer (1795-1858). He would study at Academy for three years but did not pass Concours du prix de Rome.

Landelle debuted at the Salon of 1841 with a self-portrait. At the Paris Salon of 1842, he registered as a historical painter and was awarded the bronze medal for "Fra Angelo recevant les inspiration de Dieu." During the Salon of 1844, d’Eugène Janvier, Conseiller d’Etat et Député of the Interior Ministry, would purchase (1200 franc) Landelle’s "Charité" for the collection of Napoléon III. In 1845, he was awarded a silver medal for "Vierge et les Saintes Femmes se rendant au tombeau du Christ" and a gold medal at the 1848 Salon for "Ste Cécile."

In 1848, Landelle traveled over the Pyrénées to Tangiers and Morocco to study and gather to subject matter for future orientalist paintings. Starting in 1850. Landelle would be commission to decorate several important Churches and government buildings and in 1859, Napoléon would purchase "Pressentiment de la Vierge" for the Musée Luxembourg. And in 1862 the Musée de Montauban would purchase "Femmes de Jérusalem captives á Babylone" for 6000 francs. By age of 36, Landelle was a Chevalier in the Légion de Honour, completed an enormous commission to decorate the l’Eglise Saint-Sulpice and was Minister in charge of the Beaux-Arts Academie. At the 1855 l’Exposition Universelle de Paris, Napoléon III awarded Charles Landelle the Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

Landelle would marry Alice Letronne in the Saint-Thomas d’Acquin in Paris in 1859 and she would give two sons, Paul (1860-1880) and George (1861-1899).

In 1866, Napoléon III would commission (one of several) Landelle to paint the portrait of Sultan du Marco á Fez. He would travel to Morocco with Baron Aymé d’Acquin, Ambassador to Napoléon III. The trip would take two months. It was also during this trip that Landelle would paint "Femme Fellah." which would be come his signature subject. From November 1875 and April 1876, Landelle would travel to Egypt. He would fall in love with ruins, the Nile Valley and ancient city of Jerusalem. Landelle would end his trip and rest in Palestine.

Tragedy would strike in 1880 with the accidental death of the oldest son, Paul. Landelle would immediately leave Paris with his wife and son George for Algeria and just two short years later his 49-year-old wife, Alice, would die. Landelle continue his journeys to Algeria. During these trips he would visit Constantine and Tunis. In 1889, he would marry artist, Anaîs Beauvais and in 1894 he would make his fifth trip to Algeria with his new wife and young son. The family would live in Algeria until 1899. After the unsolved disappearance of Anaîs and his son George, Landelle would leave Algeria forever and return France to spend his remaining years painting at his atelier in Chennevières-sur-Marne.

Charles Landelle had an incredibly successful career as an artist. He was awarded very honor imaginable. He exhibited in over 208 exhibitions in France between 1841 and 1908. Landelle also exhibited in the United States, Austria and London.

France, 1951, Alfred de Musset

Gabon, 1982, Alfred de Musset

Rumania, 1960, Alfred de Musset