Born on June 8, 1825 in Les Andelys, France, Charles Joshua Chaplin was a French painter and printmaker He was well known for his magnificent portraits and landscapes The artist mastered several techniques which he utilised for his artworks such as watercolour, lithography, oil painting, pastels, etching, and chalk His elegant portraits of young women were some of his best works

In 1840, he took private lessons from Michel Martin Drolling while studying at École des Beaux-Arts in Paris At that time Paul Baudry, Jules Breton, and Jean-Jacques Henner were also studying art under his guidance The artist was influenced by talented British painters Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and Dutch painter Peter Paul Rubens

Charles made his debut with portraits at the Salon de Paris and continued to paint landscapes His early works from 1848 to 1851 were painted in a realistic style Later, he started utilising a subtle palette of rosy pink, white, and grey to depict his models During the 1850s, genre painting sparked his interest where he showcased the everyday life of young women in a variety of poses The artist encouraged women painters and conducted art classes specifically for them at his studio Mary Cassatt, Louise Abbéma, and Louise Jopling were some of Chaplin's notable students

The artist won several medals including a third-class medal in 1851, a second-class medal in 1852, and an Honour Medal in 1865 He was one of the many favourite court artists of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie The Royal Academy, London exhibited his works regularly and today his works can be viewed at various museums across the world The artist passed away at age 65 on 30 January, 1891 in Paris