Charles Jung, Still Life with Oranges (1896)

CHARLES JUNG (Lyon, 1865-1936) Still Life with Oranges. 1896. Oil on canvas. 60 X 73 cm (frame: 87.5 X 72.5 X 7 cm) Signed and dated bottom left: C. Jung 96. Charles Jung was one of the leading still life painters in Lyon at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. His work, praised by critics and sought after by major collectors, extensively used impasto and touches of bright colours, which initially struggled to convince more conservative critics. However, by the end of his career, he was president of the Association of Painters of Lyon. Although somewhat forgotten today, Jung was a major artist at a time when Lyon's still life painting was recognised worldwide. The quality of his work is remarkable: the orange peel, the paper wrappings, and the reflections on the glass jug are painted exceptionally. It is worth noting that an old repair is visible on the back of the work. Despite a slight loss of tension on the canvas, the paint surface is in excellent condition, and the impasto is so pronounced that I would be reluctant to consider relining.