Overview
Charles-Théodore Frère, born in Paris on June 21, 1814, emerged as an important artist in the Orientalist movement. While his brother, Pierre-Édouard Frère (1819-1886), became an established genre painter under the tutelage of Paul Delaroche (1797-1856), Charles-Théodore, often called Théodore, studied with Jean-Léon Cogniet (1794-1880) and Camille Roqueplan (1802-1855). His artistic journey began with travels through Normandy, Alsace, and Auvergne, igniting his passion for landscape painting. His first significant work, Vue des Environs de Strasbourg, was accepted at the Paris Salon of 1834, marking the start of his successful career.
At Cogniet’s studio, Frère was introduced to various Middle Eastern subjects, including the Egyptian Expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte (1789-1821). In 1832, Cogniet painted a portrait of Jean-François Champollion (1790-1832), the pioneering scholar who published a breakthrough in deciphering the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone.
Frère’s fascination with the ‘Orient’ truly began when he embarked on a journey to Algeria from 1836 to 1839. Following King Charles X’s (1757-1836) conquest of Algeria in 1830, the region drew significant attention for its military importance, favorable climate, and rich culture. To encourage exploration and artistic representation of the Middle East, the French government offered scholarships for travel to the colony. Frère exhibited two views of Algiers at the Salon, after which he returned to the Middle East again between 1851 and 1854, traveling through Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Syria. Among these diverse landscapes, Egypt was one of his favorites, inspiring him with its history, culture, and the physical geography of the Nile. By 1853, he established a studio in Cairo, which provided him with a wealth of imagery, including views of the desert, bazaars, markets, mosques, and everyday life in the region.
Throughout his career, Frère achieved considerable acclaim, exhibiting at the Salon until 1887 and earning prestigious awards, including a first-class medal in 1865. Valued by both European patrons and the Ottoman rulers of Egypt, he was honored with the title of ‘bey’. In 1869, he made his final journey to Egypt, accompanying Empress Eugénie (1826-1920) alongside fellow artists Eugène Fromentin (1820-1876), Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), and Narçisse Berchère (1819-1891). This trip resulted in several paintings of her journey on the Nile and allowed him to witness the historic opening of the Suez Canal, representing a fitting conclusion to his connection with the region.