Charles-Louis Guigon
Genève 1807 – 1882
View of the castle of Chillon in Switzerland
Signed Guigon lower left
Oil on paper laid down on board.
A torn label on the verso with inscription Chillon et la …1831 ou 32.
247 x 331 mm – 9 3/4 x 13 1/16 in.
Exhibition – May-be Salon de Genève, 1834, n° 103, Vue du lac de Genève, prise auprès du Château de Chillon (tableau owned by Mr Odier-Céard).
Charles-Louis Guigon learnt drawing in Geneva with François Gédéon Reverdin (1772 – 1828), then in Paris with Louis Victor Godin (1776 – 1831). He may also have trained with Alexandre Calame (1810 – 1864) whose taste for mountainous landscape he acquired and extensively developed in numerous paintings. He regularly took part in the Geneva salons from 1826 to 1881, became a drawing teacher and opened a studio for women. He brought back many studies and paintings from his trips to Italy, especially to Venice.
A picturesque site from Lake Geneva in Veytaux, Switzerland, the Castle of Chillon was painted many times and, after having inspired romantic works to Eugène Delacroix and Lord Byron on the theme of The Chillon prisoner, he was painted by Gustave Courbet in a series of famous works.
