HUARD, Charles (1874-1965). People at the Club. 1905. (New York as I Saw It)

HUARD, Charles (1874-1965)

People at the Club

Original drawing with pen and pencil

New York, 1905: From the series "New York as I saw it."

8 7/16” x 6 3/8” 

Born in Paris in 1874, Charles Huard began his career illustrating popular journals of the time; including Le Rire, Cocorico, Le Courrier Français, and L’Assiette au Beurre. His sketches of French personalities captured the joie de vive of Parisian life in the nineteenth century and quickly earned him acclaim. Huard studied at the Atelier Julian around 1900 and went on to illustrate the complete works of Honoré de Balzac in 1910. He also served the French Army in WWI from 1914-1918 in the capacity of Official Painter of the Sixth Army of France. 

Huard possessed a passion for travel and published illustrated books of his voyages. He took particular care to faithfully report what he saw as objectively as possible without adding his personal judgements or bias. His journals, including London as I Saw It, Berlin as I Saw It, and New York as I Saw It are fascinating historical records of rapidly developing cities captured both in pen and ink sketches and also in Huard’s narrative voice: the voice of a ready explorer encountering the city for the first time. 

Charles Huard’s framed sketches in the Arader collection originate from the complete original sketchbook for New York Comme Je l’ai Vu [New York as I Saw It], created circa 1905. They are one-of-a-kind views, each drawn by the artist’s hand at the time they were observed. His travelogue, composed in French, was published to accompany the pictures.