Emile Chambon
Born in 1905.
Died in 1993.
Émile François Chambon (10 January 1905, Geneva – 28 October 1993, Collonge‑Bellerive) produced a body of paintings and graphic work situated within Geneva’s twentieth-century art scene.
He trained at the École des beaux‑arts de Genève from autumn 1921 onwards, and completed his practical training by working as an assistant to the painter Jean‑Louis Gampert between 1925 and 1928.
According to the notices consulted, his work lies at the intersection of the realist tradition and Italian Metaphysical painting, favouring a figurative expression that remained outside the paths of abstraction. Some notices highlight an admiration for figures such as Gustave Courbet, Caravaggio and Félix Vallotton, an explicit reference also found in the presentation of his aesthetic orientation.
In the 1930s, he is mentioned as a member of the beaux‑arts section of the Union Nationale.
Among the works listed in public records is 'La Blouse blanche' (1926), held by the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Fribourg. A painting dated 1935 is recorded in the collections of the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève. 'L'Enterrement de première classe' (1938) is listed in the collections of Kunsthaus Zürich.
On 10 May 1962, an important opening was held in Paris at Galerie Motte, organised at the initiative of Louise de Vilmorin. A major retrospective devoted to the artist was organised at the Musée Rath in 1966. The bibliography includes, notably, a first monograph by Édouard Muller‑Moor (1957) and a book by Jean‑Marie Marquis published in 1984.
