Émilie CHARMY (1877 - 1974), Portrait of a lady

In 1898, Émilie Charmy left Saint-Étienne and settled in Lyon with her brother Jean and trained
with the painter Jacques Martin (1844-1919). She exhibited for the first time in Paris at the
Independent in 1903 and moved with his brother to Saint-Cloud in 1904. She practices the genre
of the still life that she regularly exhibited at the Indépendants from 1903 to 1914 (except in 1910)
and at the Salon d'Automne from 1905 to 1912.
Charmy participates in several group exhibitions in
Berthe Weill's gallery.

It was during these events, which brought together Matisse and Girieud, that she
in 1906 met his future companion Charles Camoin. She traveled in the Mediterranean during
the summer of 1906 in his company. From 1904 to 1912, Charmy produced still lifes, landscapes and
figures with structured shapes.

In 1912, as her relationship with Camoin deteriorated, she met Georges Bouche (1874-
1941) which she joined in Auvergne during the summer. Charmy then adopted flat areas of green and bright
brushstrokes for the trees, favouring a shallow depth in his landscapes.

Malgré sa faible fortune, le critique Louis Vauxcelles la décrit comme « une des plus remarquables femmes
artistes de notre époque » (Eclair, 23 juin 1921).