"Through his appetite for truth, his taste for free and full forms, and even his choice of themes, he is directly connected to the school of modern sculpture that comes out of Degas and Despiau." Patrice Dubois
Biography
1929
He was born in Besançon on July 1, the son of René Auffret, a native of Brest, and Hélène Pourchet, a native of Franche-Comté. His father was a bank director. The family had three girls and six boys.
1943
He spent three years in boarding school at the College of Mamers (Sarthe).
1946
He returned to Dijon and passed his baccalaureat exam.
1947
He entered the École des Beaux-Arts (the fine art school) of Dijon and chose to study in the studio of the sculptor Pierre Honoré, from whom he learned drawing, direct carving, modeling, and molding.
He regularly visited the museum of Dijon to admire the sculptures of François Rude and François Pompon, and he discovered medieval Burgundian architecture and sculpture at Vézelay, Cluny, and Autun.
1950
He had his first sculpture shown in Paris, a draped figure in stone, in the Marsan pavilion of the Louvre Museum on the occasion of the exhibition of student work from provincial schools.
1951
He moved to Paris to work with the sculptor Pierre Honoré for a year. He discovered the work of the sculptors Charles Despiau (1874-1946), Robert Wlérick (1882-1944), and Charles Malfray (1887-1940).
1952
He was admitted to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he pursued his studies in the studio of a sculptor of monumental art, Alfred Janniot. He did not join in with the competitive spirit that reigned in the studio.
1954
He developed a close friendship with the sculptor Raymond Martin. He went frequently to the Louvre to draw. He was a contender for the Rome Prize.
1955
He showed the bust of his brother Jean-Marie at the Tuileries Salon, where he met the sculptor Jean Carton, with whom he developed a strong friendship.
He did the sculpture Christ in the Tomb for the Stations of the Cross at Sombacour (Doubs).
1956
He was again a contender for the Rome Prize. He withdrew after the first third of the competition. He came in second for the Rome Prize. He moved to a studio in the Impasse Ronsin that was next to the sculptor Constantin Brancusi’s studio; he made several molds for him.
1957
His father died.
He collaborated with Raymond Martin on the restoration of the sculptures in the cathedral of Reims.
1958
He moved to a studio near Buttes-Chaumont, where he remained.
He took charge of the teaching of drawing at the Malebranche Academy, where the critic Maximillien Gauthier was the artistic director.
1964
He was awarded the Émile Godard Prize, which was given by “The Group of Nine,” nine independent sculptors, Jean Carton, Raymond Martin, Paul Cornet, Marcel Damboise, Léon Indenbaum, Léopold Kretz, Gunnar Nilsson, and Jean Osouf.
He showed work at the Vendôme Gallery in Paris.
1965
He showed work at the Letourneur Gallery in Paris.
He did a Virgin in sycamore for the church of Rochefort-en-Yvelines.
He met Arlette Ginioux, a painter and sculptor.
He won the International Sculpture Prize from the Paul Ricard Foundation and spent a year in residence on the Island of Bendor (Var) with Arlette Ginioux.
1966
Their son Jean-Baptiste was born.
He took part in the exhibition Dessins de sculpteurs de Rodin à nos jours (Sculptors’ Drawings from Rodin to Today) at the fine arts museum in Strasbourg.
He created and editioned a medal featuring the painter Théodore Géricault, commissioned by the Hôtel des Monnaies de Paris (the Paris Mint).
He created l’Éveil (The Awakening), a large standing figure, which was installed on the Island of Bendor.
1967
He was named professor of sculpture and drawing at the fine arts school in Reims.
He created and editioned a medal featuring the sculptor Charles Malfray, commissioned by the Hôtel des Monnaies de Paris (the Paris Mint).
1968
He had a show with the sculptors René Babin and Gudmar Olovson in the foyer of the Théâtre Montparnasse.
1969
He created and editioned a medal featuring the poet Jean Follain, commissioned by the Hôtel des Monnaies de Paris (the Paris Mint).
1970
He had a show with the sculptors René Babin and Gudmar Olovson at the Galerie Färg och Form in Stockholm.
He was invited to take part in the exhibition Les Grands Sculpteurs Contemporains at the museum of Narbonne along with Paul Cornet and Jean Osouf. The show was organized by the art writer André Barrère, who wrote on Auffret’s work.
He created a medal featuring the sculptor Camille Claudel, editioned by the Hôtel des Monnaies de Paris (the Paris Mint).
1972
He showed work in the exhibition Young Painters and Sculptors at the Orangerie in the Luxembourg Gardens.
He had a show at the Atelier de Ville d’Avery (the Studio of the City of Avery).
1973
The Paris Mint published a detailed study of his work following the editioning of various medals (Gericault, Prud’hon, Claudel, Malfray, Bachelard …)
He created and editioned a medal featuring the sculptor Paul Cornet for the Hôtel des Monnaies de Paris (the Paris Mint).
1975
He created and editioned a medal featuring a portrait of Georges Ducellier, president of the Red Cross, for the Henri Dunant Hospital in Paris.
He received the Gold Medal at the salon des Artistes Français for the bust Marie-Agnès Barrère.
1977
He worked on the restauration of the cathedral of Reims.
1978
He did a bust of the widow Cliquot for the champagne company Besserat de Bellefon, and an exhibition was organized in connection with it.
He participated in various salons, including those of the Indépendants, the Artistes Français, de Dessin et Peinture à l’eau (of Drawing and Watercolor), and the Tuileries.
1979
He had a solo exhibition, Sculptures and Drawings, which included a catalogue prefaced by Patrice Dubois, that was shown at the museum of the Chateau in Blois, Saint-Pierre le Puellier in Orléans, and the Orangerie of the Postal Museum in Amboise.
1981
He had a solo exhibitions at the hôtel de Hocron in Lille, the museum of Vendôme, and at the Romorantin-Lanthenay Library.
He showed at the Galerie de Nevers in Paris (With René Babin, Arlette Ginioux, Jean Osouf, Roch Vandromme).
He created and editioned medals of the painter Eugène Durenne and the poet René Guy Cadou for the Paris Mint.
1983
He had a solo exhibition at the Salons de la Rose-Croix (Red Cross Salons) in Paris.
1984
He won the Charles Malfray Grand Prize for drawing, given by the Taylor Foundation.
1985
He created La Loi (The Law), a large standing figure in bronze, for the Sénat; it was installed across from the building’s main entrance in the rue Garancière.
1986
He won the Léon Georges Baudry Prize, given by the Taylor Foundation. In connection with this prize, the Taylor Foundation gave him an exhibition and produced a film on his work, directed by Patrick Chapu.
1987
He took part in the exhibition Avec Rodin (With Rodin), organized by the city of Rosny-sous-Bois at the Jean Vilar Center.
1988
He had a solo exhibition at the Salons de la Rose-Croix in Paris.
He took part in the exhibition Message du Printemps (Spring Message) organized by Jean Carton at the Postal Museum in Paris.
1991
He was named professor at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
1993
He had a solo exhibition at the Annick Driguez Gallery in Paris.
1995
He had a solo exhibition at the Maison de la fontaine in the Recouvrance section of Brest, where his father’s family had come from.
He had a solo exhibition at the Maison du Loir-et-Cher in Blois.
An article by Henri Mercillon, “Un monde sans parole,” appeared in Commentaire #68, winter 1994-95.
1997
He created a medal of the musician Joseph Samson, which was mounted on the front the latter’s house in Dijon.
1999
He created a medal of the painter Lucien Mainssieux, commissioned by the Mainssieux Museum and mounted on its façade.
2001
He died in Paris on February 24.
There was a retrospective held at the Nicolas Plescoff Gallery in Paris, with a catalogue prefaced by Richard Peduzzi.
2002
There was a retrospective held at the Lucien Mainssieux Museum in Voiron, with a catalogue prefaced by François Roussier.
2003
“Rétrospective Auffret: Dessins et aquarelles” (“Auffret Retrospective: Drawings and Watercolors”) was held at the hôtel Salomon de Rothschild in Paris.
2004
Works were shown in the exhibitions les Architects du Sensible (Architects of the Perceptible) and Le Portrait Sculpté (The Sculpted Portrait) at the Malaquais Gallery in Paris.
2005
Works were shown in the exhibition Dessins de Sculpteurs (Sculptors’ Drawings) at the Malaquais Gallery in Paris.
2007
Solo exhibition at the French Academy at the Medici Villa in Rome.
2012
Solo exhibition at the Despiau-Wlérick Museum in Mont-de-Marsan.
2014
Solo exhibition at the Malaquais Gallery in Paris.
2019
Solo exhibition at the Taylor Foundation in Paris.
Videos
Lauréats du Prix Baudry - extrait 1
5 Lauréats du Prix Baudry - extrait 1 Réalisation : Patrick Chapu Copyright : Fondation Taylor / Média 5 - 1986
Lauréats du Prix Baudry - extrait 2
5 Lauréats du Prix Baudry – extrait 2 Réalisation : Patrick Chapu Copyright : Fondation Taylor / Média 5 - 1986
Émission TV FR3 1987 l’Art en tête – extrait 1
Émission TV FR3 consacrée à Richard Peduzzi 1987 l’Art en tête – extrait 1 Copyright : Fnac Communications – Centre audiovisuel de Paris – Centre national d’art et culture Georges Pompidou 1987
Émission TV FR3 1987 l’Art en tête – extrait 2
Émission TV FR3 consacrée à Richard Peduzzi 1987 l’Art en tête – extrait 2 Copyright : Fnac Communications – Centre audiovisuel de Paris – Centre national d’art et culture Georges Pompidou 1987
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 1
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 1
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 2
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 2
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 3
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 3
Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 4
Un cours de Charles Auffret à l'École des Arts Décoratifs 1996 - extrait 4
Personal Exhibitions
1978
Champagne Besserat de Bellefon, Reims
1979
Musée du Château, Blois
1979
Collégiale Saint-Pierre-le-Puellier, Orléans
1979
Orangerie du musée de la Poste, Amboise
1979
Salle des fêtes musée de la Ville, Raincy
1981
Hôtel de Hocron, Lille
1981
Musée du Vendôme, Vendôme
1981
Bibliothèque, Romorantin-Lanthenay
1983
Les Salons de la Rose-Croix, Paris
1986
Fondation Taylor, Paris
1987
Centre culturel AMORC, Le Tremblay-Omonville
1988-1989
Les Salons de la Rose-Croix, Paris
1989
Hôtel Lutetia, Paris
1993
Galerie Annick Driguez, Paris
1995
Maison de la fontaine, Brest
1995
Maison du Loir-et-Cher, Blois
1996
Salle d’exposition Marguerite de Navarre, Charenton-le-Pont
2001
Galerie Nicolas Plescoff, Paris
2002
Musée Mainssieux, Voiron
2002
Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, Paris
2007
Académie de France - Villa Médicis, Rome, Italie
2012
Musée Despiau-Wlérick, Mont-de-Marsan
2014
Galerie Malaquais, Paris
2019
Fondation Taylor, Paris
Group Exhibitions
1963
La jeunesse et l’art d’aujourd’hui, Palais d’Orsay, Paris
1964
Le Groupe des Neuf. Prix Émile Godard, Galerie Vendôme, Paris
Rendez-vous des travailleurs et des arts, Vieux Moulin, Mennecy
1965
Exposition de sculpture contemporaine, Fondation Paul Ricard, Ile de Bendor
Art poétique, Galerie Letourneur, Paris
1966
2e festival de poésie, Ile de Bendor
Dessins de sculpteurs de Rodin à nos jours, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg
1966-1967
1er Festival de sculpture contemporaine, Château, Saint-Ouen
1967
XIIIe Exposition Terres latines, Salle d’exposition Wilson, Paris
1967-1968
Exposition de sculptures de Charles Auffret,Théâtre Montparnasse, Paris
1970
3 Paris skulptörer, Galerie Färg och form, Stockholm, Suède
Elle et lui, Maison nationale des artistes, Paris
Les grands sculpteurs contemporains, Palais des Archevêques, Narbonne
IIIe Biennale. Peinture – sculpture, Hôtel de Ville, Cachan
1971
82e Exposition de la société des artistes indépendants, Grand Palais, Paris
1972
Hommage à Robert Wlérick, Château, Ville d’Avray
Jeunes peintres et sculpteurs, Orangerie du jardin du Luxembourg, Paris
IVe Biennale. Peinture – sculpture, Hôtel de ville, Cachan
1973
XXIe Souvenir de Corot, Maison des enfants, Viroflay
1975
Ve Biennale. Peinture – sculpture, Hôtel de ville, Cachan
