Victor Chavet 1822-1906

Victor Joseph Chavet, born in Pourcieux (Var) on July 21, 1822, and died in Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire) on July 16, 1906, was a French painter.

Chavet studied under Pierre Révoil in Lyon and later with Camille Roqueplan. He exhibited at the Paris Salons and was awarded numerous medals (1853, 1855, 1857, 1859). In 1859, he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour and received commissions from the French state. In addition to paintings, he produced significant tapestry cartoons depicting portraits of François I and the painter Francesco Romanelli, now preserved in the Galerie d’Apollon at the Louvre.

Another major state commission in 1857 involved his participation in completing the Louvre under Napoleon III over a five-year period. He also created a composition for the album of watercolors presented by Napoleon III to Queen Victoria, depicting key moments of her visit to France, such as her promenade through the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

In 1874, Chavet settled in Geneva.

Museums:

• Douai: Portrait of J.-F. Romanelli

• Aix-en-Provence: La Religieuse, portrait of Mme E. Loubon

• Versailles: Portrait of Jacques Bergeret, Vice-Admiral

• Musée d’Orsay: 

• La Dormeuse, 1859, oil on canvas, 36 × 26 cm
• Un Atelier, oil on wood, 36 × 26 cm