Charles Garabed Atamian

Background

Charles Atamian was born on September 18, 1872, in Istanbul, Turkey, the second of five children of Franciscan Armenian Mighirditch Atamian, goldsmith and musician, and Marie Afker.

Education

Charles completed his early education at the Mkhitaryan Armenian School in Pera, Istanbul. Garabed then attended the local French school Lycée de Saint-Benoit. He continued his education at the Murad Rafaelian Armenian College of Venice, where he studied along with Edgar Chahine. For a time he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, but returned to Istanbul without graduating.

Career

Upon returning to Istanbul Atamian opened his first exhibition, which was a big success and he was invited to work at the newly open Yildiz Porcelain Factory of the Ottoman Court from 1894 to 1896. There he was appointed as the factory’s chief designer. A number of Atamian’s porcelain plates bearing his signature “Atam” are now exhibited at the Topkapi Palace, the main palace of the Ottoman Empire. Plates which he created include portraits of the sultans Mahmud II, Selim and Abdul Mejid.

The Hamidian massacres of Armenians made impossible Atamian’s realization as a painter in Constantinople. He sought refuge in Paris in 1897 and predominantly worked and exhibited there. In Paris, his name Garabed turned into Charles. Here Atamian exhibited at La Nationale from 1913 to 1942, at the Independent Gallery from 1938 to 1945, and he was made an Associate of La Nationale in 1927. There he also illustrated nearly 150 books, including novels by such famous writers as Anatole France, Guy de Maupassant, Henri Bordeaux, Rene Bazin and created colored illustrations for the French translation of B. Litton’s “The Last Days of Pompeii.” Moreover, he created artworks for theatrical stage productions.

The first oil painting by Charles Atamian was exhibited at Salon d’Automne in 1903. From that year and onwards, he participated in various exhibitions with overwhelming success. In 1923 Atamian spent the summer in Saint-Gilles-sur-Vie in Vendée in France. It became a habit of his and he returned regularly until 1939. Many of his famous landscapes and marine artworks were developed precisely at this summer residence. In 1928 he obtained French nationality.

In 1941, feeling the first symptoms of a contracted disease, Charles stopped painting while continuing to exhibit. His last known work is a self-portrait dated 1941. He died in his workshop on July 30, 1947. Many of his paintings exhibited in various cities of Europe, the United States, and Japan were reproduced as postcards. His granddaughter bequeathed 42 paintings of the artist to the municipality of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in 1995.

Achievements

• Atamian’s work has always been very popular and in high demand. He found huge success creating artwork for commercial purposes including books and magazines.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Children by the sea

  • Looking out to sea

Views

Charles Atamian adhered to the artistic traditions of Realism.

Membership

Charles became a permanent member of the National Society of Artists in Paris in 1927.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Atamian is the painter of open-air blinks. Few artists have such a feeling of light as he has, it’s his privilege, the result of spontaneity and mastery. His soul is joyful and straightforward, emotional in front of the whole intoxication of light and color. His line celebrates light and truth and feels us with a joy for life.

Connections

Charles was married to Marie-Josèphe Valérie Snidarsich. His wife died in 1941.

Father:

Franciscan Armenian Mighirditch Atamian

Mother:

Marie Afker

Spouse:

Marie-Josèphe Valérie Snidarsich

neighbor:

Eugène Carrière

neighbor:

Francis Picabia

neighbor:

Paul Cézanne

tutor:

Antonio Paoletti