Jean Charlot

Louis Henri Jean Charlot (February 8, 1898 – March 20, 1979) was a French and naturalized American painter and illustrator, active mainly in Mexico and the United States.

Life

Charlot was born in Paris. His father, Henri, owned an import-export business and was a Russian-born émigré, albeit one who supported the Bolshevik cause. His mother Anna was herself an artist. His mother's family originated from Mexico City, his grandfather a French-Indian mestizo. His great grandfather had immigrated to Mexico in the 1820s shortly after the country's independence from Spain and married a woman who was half Aztec. This was likely the source of a myth which developed around Charlot casting him as a descendant of Aztec royalty.

From an early age Charlot was fascinated with the Mexican manuscripts and art in the collection of his Great Uncle Eugene, and by the pre-Columbian artefacts of a neighbor and family friend, Désiré Charnay, who was a well-known archaeologist. As a teenager he began learning the Aztec language, Nahuatl. He studied art in Paris before serving in the French Army during the Great War. In 1920, his scale drawings for the mural decorations of a church were included in an exhibition of religious art at the Louvre.

Charlot

Charlot (French: Charlot, literally "Little Charles") is a fictionalized form of Charles the Younger (c. 772 – December 4, 811), son of Charlemagne, in the tradition of the Matter of France. His legend may also incorporate elements of Charlemagne's great-grandson Charles the Child.

He slew the son of Ogier the Dane, and was killed in revenge, causing a long period of strife between Ogier and the emperor. In the story of Huon of Bordeaux, it is Huon who kills Charlot. Charlot is possibly based on Charlemagne's real son Charles, who predeceased his father; Auguste Longnon identified him with Charlemagne's grandson Charles the Child, who died before his father Charles the Bald in a similar situation as Charlot in a fight with a man named Aubouin.

Charlot (rower)

Charlot was a French coxswain and Olympic champion.

Charlot won a gold medal in coxed fours at the 1900 Summer Olympics, as coxswain for the French team Cercle de l'Aviron Roubaix.

References

Charlot (disambiguation)

Charlot may refer to:

See also