Charles Sahuguet, painter , 1910-1990

Born in Millau, Aveyron, France, 8th. November 1910.
Spends his Childhood in Espalion.
Joins the Beaux-Arts School in Bordeaux in 1930.

Leaves for Paris where he joins the "Horde du Mont-Parnasse"”.
Takes part to the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris, the Salon d’ Hiver and Salon des Tuileries...

1937: Wins the Gold Medal at the Salon d’Asnières.
Gets married that same year.

1935-45. Mobilized for war. Wounded. Military Cross.
Takes refuge in Auvergne.
Some elements of surrealism and symbolism appear in his paintings

Returns to Paris. Studies the technique of Flemish early masters and icons.
He then turns to religious art .
Triptych of Lazare’s resurrection
Stations of the cross of Laguiole, a state order.

Receives encouragements from André Malraux.

Begins his research to define a symbolic and liturgical Art.
He comes upon the accurate technical recommendations of the Cluny painters, which he asks a chemist friend to convert in contemporary products and composes his first iconographic models.

Orders for mural paintings follow : 1953: Chapel of Strasbourg students in Vieil-Armand (Haut-Rhin)
1954-55: Baptistry of Zillisheim church (Haut- Rhin) and of Sainte-Geneviève church in Mulhouse
1956: Altarpiece for the Dominique Savio chapel, Don Bosco Institute in Landser

Illness (heart attack) puts an end to his activity. In 1969, he leaves Paris, settles in Montréal de l’Aude and returns to canvas painting, with landscapes around Montreal and still-life pictures.

In 1976, he returns to a symbolic language, this time less focused on church, but based on a larger source of inspiration.
This is the start of a series of symbolic paintings on wood, on the theme of the Tree of Life.
Exhibitions will be organized in Geneva (Galerie CALART), Paris (Ranelagh Theater) Saint-Maur, Carcassonne... 52 of these symbolic paintings are now in private collections.

In 1979, he takes to a former project which has been with him for many years : an illustration St John’s Apocalypse.
He paints 46 gouaches on paper, in total respect of the text.
It will receive the warm support of Georges Duby. Charles Sahuguet dies 19th. June 1990 in Montréal de l’Aude.

1994. Mrs. Sahuguet makes a donation of 39 symbolic wood paintings to the Municipality of Caunes Minervois to be in permanent display in one of the Abbey’s rooms dedicated to them.
They represent what is left form the total 91 symbolic panels achieved with this technique.

1998 His illustration of St John’s Apocalypse is published by the Editions de Saint-Augustin distributed in France by the Editions du Cerf.

2002: Donation is made to the Municipality of Espalion of a symbolic painting on wood, called “Fight between the Snake and the Eagle”, to be exhibited permanently.

2022 The original manuscript of the ‘Apocalypse de Jean vue par Charles Sahuguet’ is received in the public collections of the "Musée du Hieron" in Paray le Monial (Bourgogne region).

2025 The Collection of 39 symbolic paintings on wood illustrating the theme of the Tree of Life, subject of a new website, leave the Abbey of Caunes Minervois, in search of new premises for their exhibition.