Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 10 works by Charles Laval in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Charles Laval left, the most famous is Portrait of the Artist (1889), in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Close behind it come Women by the Shore, sketch (1887) and Going to Market, Brittany (1888). Our catalog holds 10 works by Charles Laval; the gallery has kept the 10 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
In this intimate oil on canvas, the artist Charles Laval turns his gaze toward the viewer through a quiet, introspective lens. Painted in 1889, the work presents a bust view of a single male figure. The subject is Charles Laval himself, capturing a moment of profound stillness. He appears caught in a private thought, his presence filling the frame with a heavy, melancholic weight.
The composition captures three women navigating a rocky shoreline, their forms defined by loose, expressive brushstrokes. They move through a landscape where the deep blues of the ocean meet the warm, sun-drenched tones of orange and red in their garments. This sketch-style approach prioritizes the energy of the moment over precise anatomical detail, using visible marks to suggest the texture of fabric and the spray of the sea. The figures,…
Going to Market, Brittany is a work by Charles Laval, executed in 1888. The painting captures a specific moment in the everyday life of the Breton people, focusing on a group of figures identified as peasants. Through this subject, Laval explores the social realities of the region during the late nineteenth century.
The man sits in a quiet, heavy stillness, his presence anchoring the right side of the frame. He looks directly at us, his eyes carrying a weary intensity that seems to pierce through the very air of the room. Dark hair and a beard frame a face marked by deep thought, while glasses catch a soft, diffused light. To his left, a window frame slices through the composition, creating a…
In the painting titled Bathers, created by Charles Laval about 1888, the subject matter centers around a group of nude figures engaged in various poses within a natural setting. These figures are partially submerged in water, creating a dynamic and somewhat turbulent scene. The environment likely represents a coastal bathing area where the movement of the water interacts with the bodies of the subjects.
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Charles Laval | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Musée d'Orsay |
Paris | 2 | Portrait of the Artist, Women by the Shore, sketch |
 Van Gogh Museum |
Amsterdam | 2 | Self-Portrait, Landscape n Martinique |
 Indianapolis Museum of Art |
Indianapolis | 1 | Going to Market, Brittany |
 Kunsthalle Bremen |
Bremen | 1 | Bathers |
 Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg |
Strasbourg | 1 | The Aven Stream |
Charles Laval's dated works in this selection cover only 4 years, from 1887 to 1890: a brief career, shown here year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The composition captures three women navigating a rocky shoreline, their forms defined by loose, expressive brushstrokes. They move through a landscape where the deep blues of the ocean meet the warm, sun-drenched tones of orange and red in their garments. This sketch-style approach prioritizes the energy of the moment over precise anatomical detail, using visible marks to suggest the texture of fabric and the spray of the sea. The figures,…
More from 1887
Going to Market, Brittany is a work by Charles Laval, executed in 1888. The painting captures a specific moment in the everyday life of the Breton people, focusing on a group of figures identified as peasants. Through this subject, Laval explores the social realities of the region during the late nineteenth century.
More from 1888
In this intimate oil on canvas, the artist Charles Laval turns his gaze toward the viewer through a quiet, introspective lens. Painted in 1889, the work presents a bust view of a single male figure. The subject is Charles Laval himself, capturing a moment of profound stillness. He appears caught in a private thought, his presence filling the frame with a heavy, melancholic weight.
More from 1889
Portrait of the Artist (1889), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Women by the Shore, sketch (1887) and Going to Market, Brittany (1888) come next.
27 years old: Portrait of the Artist dates from 1889, and Charles Laval was born in 1862.
Portrait of the Artist, Women by the Shore, sketch, Going to Market, Brittany, Self-Portrait, Bathers, The Aven Stream, Harvest in Brittany, Landscape with Strolling Breton Women, The Fence and Landscape n Martinique. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 10 works by Charles Laval, dated from 1887 to 1890.
Mostly in Musée d'Orsay (Paris), Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam) and Indianapolis Museum of Art (Indianapolis). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1889: 4 of the 10 works on this page were made then, Portrait of the Artist among them.
On this page, the earliest is Women by the Shore, sketch (1887) and the latest Landscape with Strolling Breton Women (1890).
Man (2), Beard (2) and Glasses (2), across the 10 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 3 of the 10 works on this page.
Synthetism, judging by the originals on this page.
Portrait of the Artist and Women by the Shore, sketch: the Musée d'Orsay, Paris holds 2 of the works on this page.
